Posted by
Michael A. Minton on Sunday, March 23, 2008 4:52:23 AM
It seems to be “that time of year” again. For some of us, “that time of year” means midnight mass, for others it may mean waking up bright and early and searching feverishly through our closets trying to find that “Spring” suit that we haven’t worn since last Easter and making the annual pilgrimage to church to make sure we cover our butts for yet another year.
For some, it may mean hiding Easter eggs in the back yard, some chocolate, some marshmallow, and some plastic with a wadded up one-dollar bill inside. My kids LOVE the plastic ones. There is nothing better than the excitement on a young child’s face when she/he “finds” a dollar!
Or is there? Have you ever seen the face of a broken-down alcoholic or drug addict who has lost everything, including his children, because of his uncontrollable addictions? How about the face of a mother who has just had her children taken away because she felt the need to spend that last $20.00 on crack, instead of taking it to the store and getting a day’s worth of food?
Those faces are hard to watch. And no, they’re most definitely not better than the face of a child who finds a dollar. But those faces can change, and that is what this “time of year” is all about.
Now, I would ask that you think about the faces I mentioned, the negative ones. You have seen them on street corners, lying in alley ways, or maybe just on your television set in your nice, comfortable home. No matter the medium, we have all seen the faces.
Now I want to ask you this: Have you ever seen the face of a broken-down alcoholic, a drug addict, or a mother who made the wrong choice and lost her kids after they have heard the Easter message? Have you seen the glimmer of hope in their eyes that says “maybe, just maybe, it’s not too late?”
Once they have heard that Jesus Christ lived, and yes, died, to save them from their sin. Once they actually realize, and firmly believe, that Easter is not about bunnies, or candy, or even colored eggs. But rather, it is about salvation, about the prospect of redemption! What great news! Christ has died to forgive all of these sins and so much more!
I am so glad, not just today, but every day, that God loved me so much that he sacrificed his only Son, that I shall not perish, but have everlasting life! Is that not fabulous? Of course it is!
Earthly judges may hold onto their resentments for a lifetime. I may have harmed people in my past who will never forgive me. But God says He stands ready to forgive us all of all our sin. All we need to do is ask, and it shall be delivered unto us.
So, at least for today, instead of focusing on all the negative, political garbage going on in our country, and indeed the world, I choose to focus on the fact that God loves me, just as I am. I don’t have to wear fancy clothes or make six figures for God to love me. And I don’t have to go to prison to atone for my sins. All I have to do is ask, and all will be made right.
I hope that your Easter is full of turkey, ham, and all the good nourishment that our body needs. But let us not forget to nourish the soul as well. I hope your kids will laugh, play, and glow when they find that dollar. But let us not forget to tell our children the true meaning of Easter as well.
God Bless you all! Happy Easter!