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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,
1 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)

Unmitigated joy

Easter is coming! Resurrection day! Unmitigated joy fills my heart as I dwell on the significance of this season.

Joy that despite all my misgivings, insecurities, and self-doubts, springs from the knowledge that the God of all creation loves me beyond what I can even comprehend. He loved me and you so much that He was willing to sacrifice the life of His son in an unfathomable way to demonstrate His love for us. All of us!

Joy that eclipses all of the pain and suffering I have experienced in this life because of the HOPE I have in spending eternal life with God our Father.

And joy that is unquenchable, because I have walked through the fiery furnace several times, only to have my faith grow stronger and deeper because of His faithfulness.

These are not flowery words; they are the true cries of my heart. My battle-worn heart.

Sorrow upon Sorrow

The greatest sorrow of my life has been the loss of my sweet husband Dave on September 12, 2011. Nothing had prepared me for the depth of grief I would feel day in and day out for so many years. But over the years, I have also learned to focus more on the sweet memories of the past and to look forward to the day we will be reunited in God’s presence. The pain is still a part of me and who I am, but it no longer consumes and overwhelms me. This journey has made me so much more reliant on Christ. It is Christ who gives me the strength to face the challenges of this world without my sweet Dave.

This month has been yet another battle. My mother went home to Jesus unexpectedly on February 19th. Leaving me as the sole remainder on this earth of my original family. She joined my brother, who went home on his 24th birthday on February 22, 1990, and my father, who went home on February 22, 2015. It is a week of anniversaries that would be devastating – if not for my HOPE in Jesus.

My mother passed away the night before I closed on my new house. So I signed the paperwork, drove to Florida to make her arrangements and clean out her home, and then drove home just a few days later to prepare my current home for the market. Through the loan process and handling my mother’s affairs, I found myself swallowed up in a tsunami of paperwork requiring the death certificates of all my loved ones. Mother, father, brother, and husband. I never pictured this season. How am I still standing?

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13 (ESV)

Hope wins!

I am still standing because of Him and only Him. But it’s not just about the strength He gives me. It’s about the HOPE that I have because of Him. That HOPE is why my heart sings with joy for our risen Lord. Easter reminds us that God showed us His great love for us in the most profound way. His love is real! The HOPE is real! If we believe in Him as our Lord, we have eternal life. NOTHING can change that.

My dear sisters, I know how much you hurt as you miss your husbands, and my heart hurts for you. But I also know, God will work all things together for good for those who love Him! (Romans 8:28 paraphrased). Is it hard to imagine some days – YES. But that doesn’t make it any less true. The God who created the heavens and the earth, who sacrificed His son on the cross, loves us. Nothing is too big for Him to handle, and there is no end to His love for us. He will give us the strength to do all things for His glory. We cannot and will not lose. Hope wins! Our inheritance can never perish, spoil, or fade. We have the living hope that comes through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Easter is coming!

Dear Lord, we praise You for who You are! Thank You for loving us more than we can even imagine! Thank You for the gift of eternal life with You! Help us to stay focused on You, to listen to You, and to obey You every step of the way! Thank You that we know Easter is coming, and what a tremendous gift it is. Help us to share our Hope in You with others. Amen.