I know Easter is past, but indulge me – I’m still enjoying thinking about resurrections ….

For instance, Easter weekend 3 years ago, I remember driving to the beach for refreshment with a few friends. I love the beach!  Blue-green waves, diving birds, leaping porpoises, moonlight. Shells. I have many happy memories of my family on the beach…

My parents had just died, six months earlier, but I had done most of my grieving by the time they went to Glory. So I was really surprised when I saw the familiar sea, with its memories of days past, to be suddenly pushed under by a wave of grief. You know when you stand in the waves, with your back to the ocean, how a wave can sneak up on you, and plunge you under, leaving you choking for air? Exactly like that.

In fresh grief, I pored over e-v-e-r-y word of the Easter Story that weekend in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John…and eventually, dwelling on that event resurrected my joy. My parents were alive and well in glory, because Jesus has conquered death, forever!  “God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me. Selah.” Ps 49:15

Then last week I witnessed a completely different example of resurrection…

I am nursing one of the young adults in our extended family who is fighting cancer, for the 2^nd time. Everything had smoothed out after the first treatment, when suddenly (and I mean in the incredibly short span of an hour) infection overtook his diseased body, and by the time we raced to the ER,  most of his body systems were failing fast. It was 36 hrs before life really took hold again. A LONG 36 hours. But 4 days later, after a speed pass through ICU, he had a spring back in his step as I followed his tennis shoes down the hall (pushing his IV pole, of course).  “Resurrection” was the single word that came to my mind!

Last but not least, by any means, a resurrection has happened in my marriage these last 2 months. We always live with bipolar disorder in our marriage, so in that sense, there is always chronic disease which, if not monitored, saps the health of our marriage – either slowly or dramatically. This was the slowly-turned-dramatic scenario. We ended up in the ICU of marriages, with a whole team giving personal and marital CPR. I could hear taps being played, somewhere in the distance.

But God intervened. Actually, I could just say, “But God.” Period. When I allow God into the middle of my crisis – any crisis, He changes the equation (for the good). This time, He gave me needed clarity and courage while medications stabilized, and granted my husband the breakthrough he needed to conquer the infection of suspicion that comes so easily to him. Our marriage was resurrected! (no more taps)

Now we’re in the dig-out-phase where it’s imperative we “make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.” Hebrew 12:13  This phase is slow, because there is woundedness and mistrust that can only be overcome by “straight” paths – consistency, patience, counsel, accountability. We’ve tried the “just put it behind you – move on,” but that’s like trying to run on a freshly broken leg. We will run again, but not today. Today we limp. BUT a limp is a long way from being in the grave!

And for this resurrection, we are humbly, eternally grateful.

Thankyou for your prayers…

Lovingly,

Joan