CONSIDER THE EASTER LILY

Consider the Easter Lily.  With it's white trumpet shaped flowers, the Easter Lilies are often called the "white robed apostles" because they herald the good news:  Christ has risen, and with him there is hope, new life and the promise of resurrection and eternal life.

Consider the Easter Lily bulb.  As I hold it in my hand, I look at the package it came in and then back at the bulb, and wonder to myself, "Really?!?"

Really?  From this brown, scaly, withered looking thing I hold in my hand is suppose to grow the plant with the beautiful flowers I see in the picture?  Really?

How often do we look at our lives and circumstances at hand and wonder, "Really?  Really, God?  Can something good come from all these changes?  Can something joyful grow from our losses?  Can something hopeful rise up from the ashes of our pain?"

And God answers with a cross, an empty tomb and a risen savior, "Yes."

Whatever our lives may look like at this moment, whatever obstacles prevent us from moving forward with our lives, the God who worked an Easter morning miracle, rolled away a great stone and raised Christ from the dead can raise us up out of our own sorrows, worries and despair to look hopefully and joyfully to the future as God works for our good, providing what we need.

For the in-between time from now to God's future for us, we have Jesus.  Jesus, who personally knows human suffering, took on not only our sins on the cross but also our grief and our pain.  He travels the in-between times with us, empowering us with strength and comfort.

Let us consider the Easter Lily bulbs of our lives and celebrate the coming blooms of Easter joy.

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