Around here we are enjoying the end of spring break and Easter festivities: we still have a bunch of hard boiled eggs that are being eaten. Zach likes to peel them but won't even think about eating them. And Gabe has happily announced that the easiest way to crack an egg is to drop it on the floor--thankfully he has yet to follow through,. The boys are also continuing to hide plastic eggs for each other to take turns finding. Our week has been a happy balance of lazy PJ days, time outside, and visits with friends (for kids and mom!). In a way, its life back to normal for us.
But what was it like for the disciples that first "Easter" after Jesus died and rose again? I imagine they were obviously crushed with sadness after he died. They had so many hopes and dreams wrapped up in him-mainly that he would be the military leader they were all waiting for who would rescue them from Roman rule and re-establish the nation of Israel. And then...he rose again. It can be easy to miss the weight of those words since many of us have grown up hearing "Jesus died and rose again" frequently in church. It kinds of rolls off the tongue and doesn't always sink in. I often have to focus hard at Easter to really grasp what happened-- he died a painful, humiliating death. For no reason other than because of love for me and you. And then death, which is so final for us, wasn't strong enough to keep him. So coming back to life isn't exactly normal and then Jesus starts appearing to the disciples and I imagine they were a bit confused, amazed, excited, scared, happy, doubtful, elated...every emotion in the book. But still, even after three years following him and learning so much and then seeing him alive after they watched him die, they tried to go back to normal. Jesus even appeared to them while they were back to fishing--their "normal" from before Jesus called them to follow him. (I imagine as he watched them fish if he was thinking, "Really??")
I wonder if I've ever acted like that. Jesus showed me himself in a powerful way--taught me something, guided me through a difficult time and then instead of letting my life be changed I revert back to my "normal" and my comfort zone. Actually, I don't wonder. I know I have. Many times. Almost with an attitude of, "huh. That was interesting" when instead it should have rocked my life a lot more.
I've been reading the book of Acts with some friends and thankfully the disciples finally did "get it"-- they went out and lived radically different lives, boldly telling others about Jesus. Pat and I have been changed dramatically over the past seven months and have drawn closer than ever to God. This quotation from CS Lewis (which is written as if God is speaking to us) sums up how we are feeling:
“Give me all of you!!! I don’t want so much of your time, so much of your talents and money, and so much of your work. I want YOU!!! ALL OF YOU!! I have not come to torment or frustrate the natural man or woman, but to KILL IT! No half measures will do. I don’t want to only prune a branch here and a branch there; rather I want the whole tree out! Hand it over to me, the whole outfit, all of your desires, all of your wants and wishes and dreams. Turn them ALL over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self---in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart, shall become your heart.”
― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
We are praying asking God to simplify our faith, take us back to the basics, to strip away anything that we have added. We don't want to go back to our normal and instead want a new normal.
Where are you being challenged in your faith? Where is God taking you?
Simply enjoying the journey,
H.
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