On Easter morning I stood on my back deck and looked at the woods behind my house. It was the last day of March and it was pretty chilly out, but I didn’t mind it – it was waking me up. I found myself wondering if this is what it felt like the morning Christ rose. I wondered what the desert feels like in the morning. I imagine it is the most refreshing part of the day there. I wondered if on that day, people had any idea what was going to occur. Were they going about their business as usual? Did they sense a change in the air?
I felt energized by the fresh air and took a deep breath. I felt some weight lift off of my shoulders. I think this feeling of relief is what we are supposed to feel when we understand what a huge gift we were given. Jesus dying wasn’t a tragedy – it was the most powerful act of love any being has ever made.
I know Easter doesn’t fall in springtime everywhere in the world, but I’m glad it does here. That feeling that creeps up inside of us as winter takes its last gasping breaths reminds me of the hope I have for a new beginning each day. The months I spend shielding myself from the cold are giving way to a feeling of lightness and freedom. The morning of the day Christ rose, the work had already been done, and we were about to receive proof that God loves us. To see the new day.
No matter where we live, or what our weather conditions are, we all experience our own winters. They feel hard, cold, and never-ending sometimes. God doesn’t promise us those won’t happen. But the sacrifice he made guarantees us that we will experience Spring in our hearts. I can’t imagine going through life without knowing what His love for me means, and that regardless of my circumstances, he is there to bring my burdened heart back to life.