It used to be that Easter meant hats and new dresses, cherry blossoms in the city, bunnies. Then I learned Who made Easter, Whose resurrection we celebrate, and Easter became a joyous proclamation of Life and promises kept. We attended church. We sang and rejoiced. Sometimes we stood in the dawn and shivered, imagining in our praise the empty Cross.
This year I waited. Waited for my beloved husband to make landfall. Waited for the next stage that begins when we meet again. And while I waited, I dealt with hurtful words. With the meaning of the Cross and the empty tomb, with its applications to this life I inhabit. The hurt has found a pattern and continues; it creeps into innocuous moments and makes my stomach roil. And it comes from a loved one. A fellow believer. Family in more ways than one.
So the Cross must intervene. The risen Christ and His promises must become so real to me that none of the rest matters. That false accusations fall at the foot of that Cross and die there, covered by His Blood.
He forgives. I must also, always and continually.
And so I rejoice and am more grateful than I can say.
Aah, N., sad for you, your pain from a loved one. How can this be? The enemy of our souls cuts deep, but in victory you proceed, forgiving, loving, all amidst the tears. The betrayal of a kiss . . .
Nicole, my friend, it’s an ongoing pain, just revived yesterday, but the glory of the Cross is what frees us, isn’t it? Because He too felt the kiss, and He showed us the way of out of pain to forgiveness and joy.
May all your days (and mine) be filled with His Love, which passes all understanding and lets us skim the heavenlies in praise.
Love covers over a multitude of sins. Both from God to us and from us to others. Bless you in your efforts to forgive and respond with grace.
Steph
Yes, Steph, He does. And without His forgiveness, where would we be? Of course, if we fail to offer the same forgiveness we’ve received, if we fail to keep our eyes focused on the God of Love, then the words of promise will be empty in our life, won’t they?
Thank you for your friendship and your prayers.