Holy Week is all about remembering. Remembering that Christ suffered and died for our sins. Remembering that he washed the feet of the disciples to give us an example to follow. Remembering at the Last Supper he gave the disciples a glimpse of what was to come that weekend. Remembering that he prayed for God to take away the cup, but promised obedience to his Father’s will whatever was to come. But most of all remembering the resurrection. (Read Matthew 26:1-28:20) This is the cornerstone of my faith. The beautiful butterflies always remind me of Christ’s resurrection as they go from caterpillar, to chrysalis, to butterfly. The caterpillar must die so the butterfly can live. So it is with Christ’s death and resurrection, the physical body must die so the new body can emerge. Without resurrection, nothing else matters.

Christ promised us that life goes on. There’s a beautiful song by that name sung by the Talley Trio. It is an extremely comforting song to me. You see I too am remembering. Remembering that God loves us unconditionally, remembering that he forgives all our sins. I am also remembering how my faith nearly slipped away from me when six years ago today, my darling son died of a heart attack in his sleep at the age of 42. I was so angry at God.

You see just months before he died he gave his life to Christ. He started going to church and asked me to come with him. He had struggled with bi-polar depression all his life, complicated by alcoholism and in former years, drug use. But now, praise God, he had turned his life around. I wish I could say from that point on he was healed of his depression and alcoholism and became a saintly example. It didn’t quite happen that way. However, the way it did happen was more surprising that anything I could imagine. He often would wear his T-shirt that showed Christ with his crown of thorns that said, “no pain, no gain.” to work. He was a bartender and worked in a bar. He would look around the room and point to people, saying “you, you and you. You need to come to church with me.” My son, who’s major church attendance consisted of coming with me on Mother’s Day as his gift to me, was evangelizing. He never hesitated to talk to people about his conversion.

I was so looking forward to watching my son mature in his beliefs. Instead, he died. I felt like God had ripped him away from me and my faith wavered.

However, its hard to say my faith kept wavering when I was hearing the voice of God every day. He kept telling me to praise him. My anger notwithstanding, I still believed that God was there and that he heard my cries. I just wasn’t very happy with Him at that point. Believe me I could not, at first, understand what I could possibly praise him for, so I kept saying no. This went on for several days and one day I grudgingly obeyed (is it really obedience if you do it with a bad attitude?). I praised him for the beautiful day it was. Each successive day, my praises became more heartfelt and real. I truly was feeling the Holy Spirit lighten the burden of grief. And then one day, God revealed to me the gift inside the grief.

Instead of drowning myself in sorrow, upset about what I was going to miss, I realized that I had been given the gift of 3 months with my son knowing he was saved. I am so grateful every day now for that gift. Just imagine if he had died without making that commitment. I would not have the joy of knowing that I will see him in heaven one day. I would be devastated.

So now, while I still shed tears on this day every year, its because I miss having him here. The tears don’t last long knowing that he is safe, healed and happy. He no longer suffers from bi-polar depression, or addictions to alcohol and/or drugs. He has been made whole. The Bible promises us that Jesus has prepared a place for us in his Father’s house (John 14:2). He told the thief on the cross, that on that very day he would join Christ in paradise (Luke 23:43). So I know without a doubt where he is.

My wish for each of you is to celebrate in your hearts and minds the resurrection of Christ. Remembering that God loves us so much that he sent his only son to die for our sins so we could have eternal life. (John 3:16) No matter what happens in this life, no matter how hard the road may get, God is with us. He will never leave us, he will hold us in his strong right hand, and he will walk with us through the valley of the shadow death, so we need not fear. Life may not run smoothly or turn out the way we expected, but we can still find joy in the Lord, each and every day. Remember.

My favorite hymn is “How Great Thou Art” written by Carl Boberg and Stuart K Hine. The lyrics tell the story of God’s majesty, his dominion over all the earth, and his unequaled love for us. It is interesting that the first version of the song was written as a Swedish poem and melody by Carl Boberg in 1885. It was later translated to German, then to Russian. From the Russian, Stuart K Hines, an English missionary in Russia, translated it to English and added two more verses of his own. Although I don’t know which two. You’ll find the complete lyrics at the end of today’s blog.

Every time there is a thunderstorm, I am reminded of the lyrics of this hymn, and one night last week was no exception. The thunder was indeed rolling and rolling and rolling. Listening to the incredible sound of the thunder, looking up at the stars at night, looking down from lofty mountains how could anyone say they don’t believe there is a God? Romans 1:20 says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” Seems obvious to me.

Perhaps people don’t see the beauty around them because they are always in such a hurry. They have no time for the niceties of life, they are just trying to make it through the day. Based on the speed of the cars that go up down the street in front of where I live, not only are they trying to make it through the day, they are trying to do it at record speeds. Zoom, zoom, zoom.

Now suddenly, we are not so busy, not in such a hurry. We (at least those of us who are not essential personnel) have been forced to stop. We have an ideal opportunity to see what we had no time to see before. I think its still okay to take a walk, so get outdoors and walk. Look at the blue sky, the green grass, and the joyful colors of the flowers planted all around. You can’t help but find God in his magnificent creation. He didn’t just speak all of this into creation and then turn his back and walk away. He is here, with us, every single minute of every single day.

I hope, during your walk, you will reach out to God and talk to him. Don’t know what to say? You can what I do, and sing to God. I walk around singing all the hymns I can remember. They are such a beautiful expression of my love and appreciation of our mighty God. Or I put on my earbuds and crank up my playlist of Christian music and sing along. Do I get some funny looks? Yep, sometimes, but I just smile at them. After all, we are told specifically in Psalm 98:4 to “Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises!” There are lots more Psalms that use those exact words, ‘make a joyful noise” (depending on your translation). Just a few if you want to look them up: Psalm 100:1, Psalm 95:1, Psalm 98:6 and dozens more examples in the Bible where we are told to sing and praise God.

Here are the complete lyrics to “How Great Thou Art”. I’m singing as I’m typing them, so feel free to join in and sing with me.

[Verse 1]
O Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed

[Refrain]
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art
Then sings my soul, my Saviour God, to Thee
How great Thou art, how great Thou art!

[Verse 2]
When through the woods, and forest glades I wander
And hear the birds sing sweetly in the trees
When I look down, from lofty mountain grandeur
And see the brook, and feel the gentle breeze

[Repeat Refrain]

[Verse 3]
And when I think, that God, His Son not sparing
Sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in
That on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing
He bled and died to take away my sin

[Repeat Refrain]

[Verse 4]
When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation
And take me home, what joy shall fill my heart
Then I shall bow, in humble adoration
And then proclaim: “My God, how great Thou art!”

[Repeat Refrain]

(Source: genius.com/Religious-music-how-great-thou-art-lyrics)

Life is uncertain, always has been always will be, until we get to Heaven.  None of knows how many years God has granted us to be on this earth through his loving grace.  When I was younger, I never really thought about it.  Like many young people, I was pretty sure I was invincible.  Nothing could touch me, I thought. 

Of course, as I matured, I learned just how deeply something could touch me.  I learned that not only was I not invincible, I was actually helpless to really do anything without God.  John 15:5 says it best, “I am the vine and you are the branches, if you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing.” (emphasis is mine).  A difficult lesson for many of us to learn.

We need to remember to lean on God during this horrendous pandemic that has risen and is shaking its fist in our faces.  We can do nothing on our own, but that doesn’t mean we should do nothing.  Pray for guidance and direction from God about what it is he wants you to do and how.  Pray for the details.  God has already given us the big picture for our jobs. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”  You want to know what God’s will is?  There it is.  Today we will just discuss verse 16, but another time we will tackle verses 17 and 18. 

Right there, in verse 16 he is telling us to choose to be happy.  Rejoicing is just another word for happiness.   This is such an important concept that it is repeated multiple times in the Bible.  Look up Philippians 4:4, Romans 5:3, Romans 12:15 and there are many more if you choose to dig deeper.

I heard a story about a little girl in school.  I believe she was in Kindergarten.  She was a shy little girl and was very quiet.  She kept her head down and focused on her work.  However, every so often her little head would bob up she’d look around the room, smile and say “Happy”.  That was it-just one word.  She was so full of joy and happiness that it just had to spill out of her. 

I was in a craft store recently and saw a set of stickers.  On the package it said, “I Choose to Be Happy,” and underneath that “Let your faith be bigger than your fear.”  Those are such encouraging words in this time of fear, confusion and uncertainty.  We can’t choose our circumstances.  We didn’t choose this pandemic or all the strictures that are being enforced as a result of the virus.  But we can choose how we react to those circumstances.

So, I challenge you to choose to be happy.  Let your faith be bigger than your fears.  Remember, the God who created this entire world is big enough to handle all your fears.  Trust in God and be happy.  The choice is fully yours.

Each morning while out walking my dogs, I spend time in prayer with God. It is part of my quiet time where I can focus on praising and worshiping my Lord and Savior. During these times, ideas sort of stream through my brain. This morning was no exception. The current pandemic facing our world was on my mind. As the thoughts poured into my brain, I felt led to share these thoughts with other believers. I have never done a blog before, but believe this may be an excellent way to share God’s love. These are simply thoughts inspired, I believe, by the Holy Spirit. I invite you to read my prayerful thoughts and comment if you choose. I am sharing with you my thoughts in a prayerful, reverent way in order to give all honor and glory to God.

Having said all that, the thoughts that were running through my brain this morning all revolved around the pandemic. I was praising God for the beauty that surrounds me. Even in the midst of all the fear and panic about this terrible virus, the beauty that God created in the beginning is still here, if we open our eyes to see. God never abandons us, he is with us always even in the worst of times. And this time certainly might qualify as one of those worst of times. I wondered, “Has God hit the pause button?” Should we be looking at this pandemic as an opportunity to stop, look at ourselves squarely in the mirror and ask, “Are my priorities in the right order?” Am I putting God on the back burner while I go about my daily life? Does my life reflect my beliefs?

What lengths might God go to in order to get our attention? Read the story of Moses leading the Israelites to the Red Sea for some insight on that question. Do I think that God sent this pandemic to get our attention, to make us stop and re-evaluate? I don’t honestly know. I often wonder why he hasn’t ‘pulled the plug’ on mankind, when I look around and see the selfishness and lack of love that so many people display. Why does he put up with us? The only explanation I have is that he loves us, so much that he sent his one and only son to die for our sins. He is trying to provide every opportunity for us to turn back to him. Regardless of whether he did or he didn’t send this pandemic, I know that he is here with us during our time of need. As Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” No matter how bad the situation is, God can bring forth good from it. I know how hard that verse can be to accept when we are suffering, but I also know the truth of it from personal experience.

I hope these words have been thought-provoking, inspiring you to re-examine and re-evaluate your priorities, if needed. In everything we do, let us do it to the glory of God. Come back again and share your prayerful thoughts.