He is Risen!

What a great (and sometimes hard) time of reflection this season of Lent and Easter has been. We read through Ann Voskamp’s Easter Devotional, The Trail to the Tree, as a family this year. It was a little deep for the kids, but they recognized the stories and really enjoyed hanging the pictures on our Jesus Easter Tree.

Now, please don’t picture a little family sitting around the table and the children all eager to listen to the Bible with their hands folded politely in their laps. That’s just not the way it looks at our house…maybe one day. But it did give us something to study and work through as a family during Lent to try and keep our hearts and minds focused on our sin and our need for Him.

Reflecting on my sin is never fun. Satan always knows right where to hit me and make me wallow in my guilt. He tells me over and over that my anger and impatient heart and countless other shortcomings make me a bad mom, a bad wife, a bad friend…sister…daughter…etc, etc.  And sometimes I feel like I’m fighting desperately not to believe him. I know he wants me to see my sin and leave me there…wallowing.

But that’s not the way Jesus does it…can I get an amen!?! The wonderful thing about Lent for me this year has been to see how my Heavenly Father gently points out my sin and then draws me closer to Him. He comes down and meets me where I am…right in the middle of all my issues and insecurities and then with such amazing grace, He lifts my head and points me to the cross and my need for Him. He doesn’t leave me there wallowing with no hope. He reminds me again that it has no control over me and that He is working on me for my highest good and His greatest glory. He is my hope.

This Easter Sunday, more than ever, when our pastor stated, “He is Risen,” every part of me believed (and I probably shouted a little too loudly), “Yes! He has risen indeed.”