Today's Five Minute Friday prompt word is Alive. Join us if you like at katemotaung.com
Go!
I love the fact that the Resurrection happened in the Spring. It's just so fitting. New Life is possible because of the Resurrection. Today is Good Friday. I have mixed feelings about this day. I think about the Scriptures where Mary and the other women went to the tomb where Jesus was laid and an angel greeted them instead. The angel's words were--
"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He is risen!"
He is alive!
Instead of focusing on His death, it makes more sense to concentrate on the Resurrection.
But, can you have a resurrection without death?
My 18 year old daughter literally hates sad books and sad movies. For some reason she is okay with sad songs. Her logic is, "why would I want to waste my time reading or watching something that has a terrible ending?"
And wouldn't it be wonderful if life was like that? Only focus on positive things and nothing negative would happen. Except, that's not real life, is it?
Any good artist knows that in order to paint light you need darkness to contrast it. Otherwise you would have a very boring, bland piece of artwork. You need darkness to see light. A novelist knows it as well. He needs to create conflict in order for there to be a resolution. A tragedy so there can be a hero.
We need to pause and reflect on death in order to appreciate life. Jesus' horrible painful death made the resurrection possible. God became flesh and gave himself as a sacrifice because nothing else would pay the penalty for sinful mankind.
I think about friends who are hurting right now. Friends who have lost loved ones, who are suffering in their bodies, those who are facing really, really difficult life situations, and it looks really dark for them. I wish I could just paint light in their lives and take away their hurt and pain. But this I know. They will not always feel pain, they will not always be in darkness. And when their miracles come, they will appreciate them so much more for having walked through the darkness. Some will receive their miracles here on earth; others will see them on the other side of Heaven. This I do know for sure--there will be light; there will be life; there will be joy again. All because of the Resurrection.
Go!
I love the fact that the Resurrection happened in the Spring. It's just so fitting. New Life is possible because of the Resurrection. Today is Good Friday. I have mixed feelings about this day. I think about the Scriptures where Mary and the other women went to the tomb where Jesus was laid and an angel greeted them instead. The angel's words were--
"Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; He is risen!"
He is alive!
Instead of focusing on His death, it makes more sense to concentrate on the Resurrection.
But, can you have a resurrection without death?
My 18 year old daughter literally hates sad books and sad movies. For some reason she is okay with sad songs. Her logic is, "why would I want to waste my time reading or watching something that has a terrible ending?"
And wouldn't it be wonderful if life was like that? Only focus on positive things and nothing negative would happen. Except, that's not real life, is it?
Any good artist knows that in order to paint light you need darkness to contrast it. Otherwise you would have a very boring, bland piece of artwork. You need darkness to see light. A novelist knows it as well. He needs to create conflict in order for there to be a resolution. A tragedy so there can be a hero.
We need to pause and reflect on death in order to appreciate life. Jesus' horrible painful death made the resurrection possible. God became flesh and gave himself as a sacrifice because nothing else would pay the penalty for sinful mankind.
I think about friends who are hurting right now. Friends who have lost loved ones, who are suffering in their bodies, those who are facing really, really difficult life situations, and it looks really dark for them. I wish I could just paint light in their lives and take away their hurt and pain. But this I know. They will not always feel pain, they will not always be in darkness. And when their miracles come, they will appreciate them so much more for having walked through the darkness. Some will receive their miracles here on earth; others will see them on the other side of Heaven. This I do know for sure--there will be light; there will be life; there will be joy again. All because of the Resurrection.
I am grateful to have been your neighbor this morning at FMF. Although, I had to come back to the linkup this afternoon :) I am so grateful for ALL that happens in each one of our lives and yes, it is all because of His death and resurrection. The completed work of our Lord. We cannot have one without the other. So very grateful that we have life because He is alive. May you & yours have a blessed Easter!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this! You weren't the only one who thought of the contrast between the resurrection and death, being alive and being dead.
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with you. The pain of Friday is so...challenging. No one loves that kind of sadness. But then, it is impossible to have the prophecies fulfilled and the sins of the world forgiven without that pain, suffering, and death. He walked through it in order to conquer it forever on our behalf.