Easter, Might You Linger A Bit Longer?

On Easter morning I awoke weary from being sick. That awful kind of sick that makes you want to meet Jesus rather than battle through to get well.

I prayed for my friends battling health issues that won’t end in a couple of days. My heart aching on their behalf, I begged for them mercy and relief and healing.

Then I put pen to paper to let my soul find its personal place with this year’s Resurrection Day.

And I’m still writing. Slowly. Reflectively.

I know what glorious, glorious things this Holy Day says to the world at large.

But what does Jesus want me to know, to think about, to wrestle through this time? This season of new beginnings? I don’t think Easter is quite done with me yet.

So, I’m lingering here for a bit longer.

I feel like the girl who wears the same outfit to school two days in a row. Easter is a bit done now. Time to put it back in the closet. Only for me it isn’t. I want to wear it again today, tomorrow, and many more tomorrows.

After all, Easter is no longer a ritual to me. It’s a revelation. A time where Jesus splits my soul along the fault line of a scar deep within. I was an unwanted child to my birth dad.

Unwanted.

But to Jesus… I was wanted so much that He gave His life for me. It feels so personal. Even though I know God “so loved the world, He gave His son,” it becomes very individual if we let it.

Be personal.

With Jesus.

Yes.

So, in the midst of a world all putting Easter away, might we let it sit with us for just a bit more?

I keep my Bible open to the place where the angel spoke to the women at the tomb. And I tangle my prayers around His Words from Matthew 28:

“Do not be afraid,”- God, I hand over to You those things that make me so afraid. Resurrect the parts of my faith squelched by fear.

“I know you are looking for Jesus,”- God, when my soul is searching help me know the answer to every longing can be found in You.

“He has risen,”- God, the fact that Jesus is risen should lift my head, my heart, and my attitude. Help me to live today as if I really believe this with every part of my life.

“just as he said,”- Jesus, You keep Your promises. Help me live as though I believe that with every part of me. Help me trust You more, obey You more, and resemble You more.

“Come and see,”- Jesus, You had the angels invite the women in to see for themselves that You had risen. You invite me into these personal revelations everyday. Forgive me that I sometimes rush about and forget to come and see for myself… You, Your Word, Your insights.

“Then go quickly and tell his disciples,”- Jesus, I don’t want to be a secret keeper with my faith. I want to be a bold and gracious truth proclaimer. For You. With You. Because of You. Me, the unwanted girl who You loved, redeemed, and wanted.

In Jesus’ Name.

Yes, let this miraculous Easter be personal. And prayerful. And linger a bit longer.

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