no greater love...

Easter is just a few days away, & I feel I would be remiss if I didn't take a moment to blog about a time of year that is so dear to my heart. Being the childlike person I am, I love pretty Easter colors, little girls in Easter bonnets, the big E.B. himself, & on the list goes.... When my children were young, I enjoyed these moments to the fullest (probably because as a child, I had precious memories).

As a young adolescent, I was baptized on Easter Sunday. At 12 years old, I professed my love for Jesus & was submerged in the water. I remember this day well, & how happy I was to finally be able to show my love for Christ. In the church I grew up in, it was customary to do this at age 12. If it had been up to me, I think I would have been 3.

My belief is that baptism does not assure me a place in Heaven. It is my mere trust in Christ that does that. Baptism is my act of obedience because it is commanded, & I want to please my Savior. It represents being buried with Christ (in the water) & being raised (as Christ was from the tomb) to a new life in Christ. How fitting that I got to do this on Easter Sunday.

So... if we put aside all of the "prettiness" that accompanies Easter, we can focus on the real meaning of this beautiful day, Jesus. I can't even type His name without an emotional reaction. His name is the only name that elicits this emotional response in me. I cannot hear His name, say it, write it, read it, or even think it, without sensing the power behind just His name alone.

Over 2000 years ago, Jesus walked a dirt road, carrying a heavy cross, after being whipped & marred beyond recognition, while being mocked & ridiculed, to secure my eternity in Heaven. I am unfit for Heaven without Him. Through Him, I am blameless. That's a miracle!

I believe it was through His Father's grace that He was able to walk this road of suffering & carry through His Father's will. Because Jesus literally walked the earth in a human body, His pain, suffering, sweating drops of blood, feelings of loneliness & betrayal, were all real (not to mention undeserved).

I believe we owe it to ourselves to ask what Jesus suffered on our account. Of what am I guilty? I may not have committed adultery or murder, but I have said regretful things & thought thoughts that are less than Godly. I am guilty of worry & a daily need to lay my burdens back down at the feet of Jesus. It saddens me to think that Jesus walked that lonely road & sweat tears of blood so I could commit unnecessary sins (some I am even unaware of), & repeatedly fall short of being Christlike.

The most important decision I've ever made was to trust in Christ. People can come up with all the excuses they can find to put off this invaluable decision. Truth is... when it's all said & done, if they were incapable of making any other decisions, this one decision, is all that matters. Easter Sunday is a reminder of how much we are loved... "There is no greater love than to lay down one's life for one's friends." John 15:13