Easter has to be numeo UNO!

Easter...I love Easter! It is my just about my favorite holiday. I guess I think of my favorite holiday as the fourth of July cuz we are usually in PA and get to see most of the family I miss seeing all year long. But Easter just has the BEST having the most important meaning and has zoomed past Christmas in my holiday ratings. You see I didn't always understand it. It was all about giant bunnies that didn't really exist and candy eggs. Christmas was about presents so as a child Easter just didn't rate. How can you compare ham and eggs......even candy eggs to a boat load of gifts to unwrap and turkey and dressing?!

But in 1986 right on the heals of my Shirley McClain foray into New Age religion the Lord decided He had had enough of my foolishness and He revealed Himself to me as the answer to all my questions. I was shocked to say the least that after all the consideration I had given to all the gods, goddesses, channelers, spirit guides, crystals, and space aliens that Jesus was standing off to the side all this time patiently waiting, loving, providing, and protecting me. My faithlessness didn't deserve it, but He gave it anyway. I am not going to give you all the details....maybe someday I will write it all up, but I was truly lost and then Jesus shined His light and I was found.

Before 1986 language such as this had no meaning to me and seemed to be used only by people I thought were intellectually challenged and didn't have the courage or the imagination to consider all the alternatives that seemed so much more reasonable and satisfying in my mind. To put it bluntly, I just thought I was a lot smarter than those religious bigots out there. Jesus to me seemed like a crutch and a safe way to travel through life or an excuse to not think and to narrow mindedly see the world safely painted in black and white. I on the other hand being more enlightened wallowed in shades of gray and had long given up on there being THE truth out there. Secretly I envied those who thought they had found truth, but also felt sorry for these poor deluded so and sos....hahaha.

Well, the joke was on me and in all my "wisdom" I had over looked all the things I had been told in Sunday school. I guess when I found out there was no Easter Bunny and there was no Santa Clause I subconsciously just jumped one more step and figured Jesus was just another one of those icons children love that really doesn't exist. I really felt deceived when I found out about Santa and the giant Bun Rab....funny thing is I did the same thing to my son years down the road and he exclaimed, "All these years you lied to me!!!???" He was seriously disturbed about all that just as I had been...... but I digress... my point is that for some reason I had dismissed Jesus.....Jesus as THE one and only Son of God. I treated Him like a nice story I was once told and I didn't see Jesus as the Lamb of God who took my place as a sin offering therefore allowing me to enjoy God and His presence in this life and also in the next. (which lasts a really lonnnnnggggggg time I might add.) I guess it seemed to simplistic plus I guess I didn't always feel like a sinner. You can't be found if you never know you are lost....after all I was a good person who demonstrated compassion and tried to treat others as I wanted to be treated. The golden rule seemed to fit all religions and I thought I was doing pretty good.

As I read the scripture which is like a mirror....with no distortions, I started to see who I really was. I began to understand my need for a savior. And it was soon apparent to me that not only did I desperately need a savior, but I needed to be totally over hauled. Now just let me say I am still in the process of being over hauled and when I first became a believer I thought that whole process would take a couple days, I didn't realize my impatience and I am still turning around on the potter's wheel these 22 years later. When we compare ourselves to our Lord it is amazing how our "goodness" pales by comparison and we just don't win the battle with sin, the flesh, and the devil over night. (oh yes, with my new found belief in Jesus, I soon found out the there really was a devil and he was mad as hell that I had a changed teams......that too will be left for another time.)

I am just praying as I am being transformed by the renewing of my mind, that I don't take too many steps backwards. A bumper sticker I saw sums it up...."Christians are not perfect, just forgiven." I hope unbelievers don't look at Christians and make their decision about who Jesus is or who God is based on us....Christians are people and people have clay feet and will disappoint, but I promise the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit will not. Because of Easter, the empty tomb,transformation for us is possible. Whatever the struggle Jesus is able to transform a life twisted by sin into one that is beautiful and whole. I am not there yet, but through the help of the Holy Spirit, a result of EASTER I might add, I know that He who began this good work in me will be faithful to complete it. There is no other holiday out there in any culture that can top that message!!! So you see Easter is the BEST holiday!