today, a few thousand years ago was a pretty dark day in the Christian world. the sky grew black, there was an earthquake and many Christians who had followed Jesus and His disciples watched their beloved Savior hang on a cross of wood with nails in His hands and feet and die... i try to imagine what that would feel like, to watch a person who i loved so much and trusted in so much, die...for me, for my sins...the truth of that is SO powerful--it overwhelms me and as i sit here writing this, my eyes are filling with tears.
i have thought today of those times where i have put my faith and trust in the Lord only to doubt Him over and over and try to take back what i have (sometimes unwillingly) trusted to Him. it frustrates me, because God knows what's best--why can i just let Him have it and deal with it as He sees fit, i mean after all, He knows me best, right? in that same token, i know that we, as humans, have a hard time putting our trust and faith in someone else--because we like to be in control. i think it would be easier sometimes if we would have been able to see the Lord, walk with Him, talk with Him, see Him raise the dead, heal the sick, give sight to the blind. wouldn't that have been amazing?! i really can't imagine it...!
most of us know the story of Thomas, who doubted Jesus, this is what He said to Thomas in John 20: "“Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen me but still have believed.” so you see, we are called blessed, because we believe in a God that we can't see. but He's SO real to me...i hope He is to you too, today.
here's a real life reason that i know God is real and another reason that makes today a "good" friday...
meet the clarkes (megan and mike)
megan is one of my co-workers and most importantly an extreme child of God (and influence in my life) she along with her husband, mike, have been on the adoption journey for the past two and half years. it definitely has not been an easy one--there's been dissappointment, heartache, victories, and trimphs, but through their faith in the Lord, they have persevered and God has now blessed them with the opportunity to travel to Africa to meet their children--and they leave tonight! won't you join with me in praying for them? you can follow their story here:
http://www.teamclarke.net/ and you can take a look at her blog updates in my sidebar as well. meg--i am SO incredibly thrilled for you and mike! and i had a GREAT time buying some amazing stuff for them to take with them to the orphans--can't wait to see pictures of the kids in their new clothes!
alright, so back to Good Friday--as dark as that day was, it gives us hope--because we all know that is NOT the end of the story--Jesus rose from the dead and He is ALIVE! if that doesn't make you want to shout "Hallelujah!" and jump up and down, then i don't know what will.
"Oh Praise the One who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead!"
xoxo,
