He is Risen!!

"The closest I’ve come to the astonishment of the disciples when they heard the good news of Jesus’ resurrection occurred the Easter my son was two.  Jack’s Sunday school teacher had brought a huge bouquet of helium balloons and let each child choose one to take home.  Jack chose red.  Proudly and joyfully, he carried his bobbling balloon down the church hallway to the Fellowship Hall, where Goug and I stopped to chat with our associate pastor, Steve, and his wife about our recent visit to Steve’s hometown.  A few minutes into our conversation, Jack let out a piercing wail.  He had let go of his balloon, and it had floated to the top of the Fellowship Hall, some twelve feet above our heads.

“Oh sweetie.” I picked Jack up as he began to sob.  “That’s so sad.”

Steve said to Jack, “Hey, pal, don’t worry. I’ll go get a ladder. We’ll get it down.”

“No, please,” I said. “Please don’t. We believe in letting him experience the consequence of his actions.”

But Steve had already headed across Fellowship Hall in search of a ladder. He turned around. “It’s Easter, Kimberlee. There are no consequences.”

I stated after him, my mouth half-open to voice an objection that died on my lips. Steve got Jack’s balloon down, and I hope and pray that deep in his being, my son now knows something it will take me the rest of my life to believe: The resurrection changes everything. Everything. The reality of Easter- Christ risen, death defeated, sins forgiven, evil overcome, no consequences—is so incredible, in the original sense of the word, that it’s beyond believable.

……….

It’s Easter, Kimberlee. There are no consequences.  I am still pondering Steve’s words to me that Easter morning.  I expect I will ponder them for a long time to come.  What does it mean to live in the reality of Easter, a reality in which there are no consequences?  I confess I don’t know. My suspicion, though, is that it looks a lot different from the way I usually live my life: a lot freer, bolder, more gracious and generous, and a lot less afraid." 

- Kimberlee Conway Ireton The Circle of Seasons

our crown of thorns turned into a crown of glory!!