"Woman, why are you weeping?"

As I sat in church today and heard the story of Mary (John 20), weeping at the tomb after she did not find Jesus there, I thought to myself "Oh, I know how she feels." That broken hearted feeling of being sad and alone and like no one else understands but that particular person that you know would understand, who is not there. Or even worse, the feeling that no one else could ever understands what you're feeling at that moment. If you've never felt like that, I suspect at some time you will. It's heartbreaking, and yes....we feel sorry for ourselves.

But then, at just the right time, Jesus appears. As he usually does. No longer in the tomb, no longer dead to her, but available to comfort. Available to understand. Taking her from the depths of despair to the greatest of joy.

I think too often we distance ourselves from that relationship with God. From all our relationships. There is something about our nature (shall we just call it sin?) that separates us from God. That separates us from people. That makes us an island. That allows us to pull away from everybody and everything. Even knowing that our own isolation is what makes us feel alone and that possibly if we took a step forward, we wouldn't be alone any more. But often we feel paralyzed.

But the great news of Easter, is the gift of the resurrection. That we can't do it on our own, and we are helpless, paralyzed, or running in circles, if left on our own. But Jesus didn't wait for us to do enough. He stepped toward us. He crossed the chasm of death, and a very painful death, to come straight to us. The crown of thorns, the stripes of the thrashings of many, the injustice of the mob, all of the pain and suffering of the world on him. Not just my sin, which seems like quite enough of a burden. Not just my pain. Not just yours. But that of all mankind. That's a lot of pain. But yet, it's personal....even I alone was enough for the sacrifice. We are each that special to God.

So woman, man.....why are you weeping? Why is your heart heavy? Resurrection has come. Every day, every minute, every moment.....each is a new opportunity of re-birth. We don't just get second chances, we get millions of chances. And we aren't alone. If you are standing there paralyzed, lift your head.  You'll see the risen savior, who totally understands where you are coming from. And the really great thing is that this is God. He is not part of the mob. He'll cut through the mob mentality to truth. He will relieve your burden, not add to your guilt. He wants you, just as you are, with the tear-stained or belligerent face. Honest and broken before him. There is no need for a heavy heart. You have been given new life, which you are to live abundantly. But wait, there's more. There is an ongoing Easter egg hunt, with treasures for you to find hidden all over the earth. Don't miss even one! Life is a good gift, at Easter, and every day. And you are not alone.

Coming Out of the Tomb

Today is Easter Sunday!  He is risen!  Look and see what is going on around you.  Worshipful church services (full of people who just may not have darkened that church doorstep for a while), shouts of delight as kids peruse the items left by the Easter Bunny (thanks Easter Bunny!), people deciding whether they really want to eat those Easter eggs they dyed (I usually vote no, unless they have been refrigerated), families and friends gathering and eating together.  And at the McKinney household the great annual Easter egg hunt.  We've done this since the earliest years of life of my oldest niece Sara.  As she now has three kids of her own, suffice it to say it has been a long time!  It has become my favorite family holiday activity.  Filling the eggs with little prizes, hiding them, and then the little bodies running all Nana and Grandpa's yard, searching them out.  The looks on the kid's faces, the pride of all they have found, and then the continuing celebration when they open the eggs.  You can't help smile....and laugh....and celebrate along with them.  And an added bonus....there are so many hidden, and not always found, that my dad gets to continue to find them throughout the year.  He loves that, I know.  (Hey Dad, maybe this year you'll find a money egg!)

Last weekend I went to a health symposium.  Another geek area for me....I love learning about nutrition and wellness, and exploring both theories and fact. Attended a workshop that had an interesting name....which  I can't completely recall (of course), but had something to do with "pesky weeds."  The name intrigued me.  Since I am allergic to most of the outdoors, I was hopeful it would give me natural solutions to what ails me.  But what I thought was in the egg wasn't there.

The "cute as a button" instructor Stephanie (www.botanicalmama.com) was a clinical herbalist.  She began by saying she is a believer that each season we need to detox our bodies.  But before I had a chance to roll my eyes, she said not by liquid diets or anything like that.  Instead it is by nourishing them.  She said that springing up around us naturally in God's earth are those things that we can use to bring health to our bodies.  She had a short time to speak, so she concentrated on three....violets, chickweed and dandelions.  We all probably have different opinions of their value.  Do you see them as pesky weeds, as flowers, or more?  She sees them as more and she taught us to open our eyes to the possibilities.  Yes, we ate all three during the session (I had eaten both violets and dandelions on salads in the past.  Just because they were served to me....and I was told they were edible.  But I had forgotten about this until she reminded me of the possibility and hadn't thought that these beautiful flowers in my yard could also be dinner.)  Stephanie made salads, salad dressings, pesto, teas, vinegars, bug spray....all kinds of things out of these three things that most people just mow right on over.  I have a special love for what I call wild flowers and others call weeds, so the idea that they can not only be beautiful, but also useful as a source for food, medicine and wellness....definitely got my attention.  Because it all made sense to me.  I think there is an order to the universe and we don't even scratch the surface of discovering its treasures.  Another Easter egg opened....with a pretty cool prize inside.

My friend Al commented this week that too many people get stuck on the cross as the symbol of our faith, while we really should celebrate the empty tomb.  I agree.  The gift is in the cross, but the celebration is in the resurrection.  And as we live worshipful lives, we are not to remain at the foot of the cross weeping or residing as a corpse in the tomb.  Because He is risen.  He is risen, indeed.  For us.  So we may have life.  Abundant life.  Exciting life.  Think of it like this.  God has hidden Easter eggs all over this world for us to find.  Lots of interesting, beautiful, exciting possibilities.  Little love gifts showing who He is and how He loves us, often found in unexpected places.  Go ahead.....you are His child.  Run out there and find some of those eggs......and it's OK and right to get excited by the prizes you have discovered.  If you are alive, you haven't aged out of  life's Easter egg hunt.  And the hunt and the celebration, the resurrection, continues every single day of the year!