Easter's Living Hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5 NIV


My plan for March was to write about what Easter means to me. Writing on some topics is easy. Ask me my opinion on the world of "Lost" or whether Diet Coke is the best drink ever (it is) and I can spin out a page or two with no challenge. When it comes to Easter and what it means to me...I've spent a lot of time staring at the missing "N" on my keyboard. Easter, with its gift of living hope, means so much. While I was researching/putting off really writing, I found this quote attributed to Pope John Paul II: "Do not abandon yourselves to despair. We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song." What does it mean to be an Easter person?

The difference between the promise of Christmas and the power of Easter became very clear to me at 27. My father died in a hospital bed in the early hours of a Saturday morning and the joy of Easter became crystal clear to me. On Friday, I prayed for my father's recovery just as I always prayed: with the certainty of a child. On Saturday afternoon, my prayers had changed and the desperate longing for Heaven opened up for the first time. My father was never easy but he was safe, certain, secure. And he was gone. I knew where to find him, but I also knew that the next time I needed him for one million reasons: directions, car repairs, house repairs, advice, a laugh...he'd be out of reach. Death had separated us for a time. And it’s hard to understand that separation without feeling it firsthand.

At some point between 27 and 33, I learned a little bit about prayer and what's really important. For two years, my mother fought cancer, following doctor's orders and battling a great deal of it all alone. My mother was like that: quiet, strong, enduring. She didn't complain. For my mother, my best friend, my only prayer was mercy. This time, with the benefit of more time, I could see God's hand at work. For four weeks, we tied up loose ends, she coached me, she stayed at home and took care of herself exactly as she wished, and we waited. And in one day, everything changed and she was gone. We did get the mercy I earnestly prayed for. And now, nearly four years later, the separation from her and Heaven still feels like a wound some days.

But I am, indeed, an Easter person. And so were my parents. And so I have reason to praise God. Because of Easter's empty tomb, we know that Jesus is who he said he was. Because he did what he said he would do, something beyond belief, we know him to be the son of God, the one who came to conquer death. Because of my wounds, I praise God for the gift of Easter, this victory over death. I know that this separation is only temporary. I still feel the loss of my security and my best friend every day. And occasionally I discuss with God how unfair this is. And then all signs point to Easter, that grace-filled gift that I never deserved. Someday, when we all get to Heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be. We will sing and shout the victory together. I think that will be like opening a gift that is exactly what I wanted and finding it immeasurably more, better, and absolutely perfect.

It's hard to imagine living a life without the hope of Heaven. As a young woman, I didn't understand the power of Easter and the promise of Heaven. I didn't feel the separation. As a not-quite-so-young woman, I understand that inevitable loss is enough to make this life heartbreaking without the promise of Heaven. But thanks to the amazing gift and promise of Easter, I have hope and it's a solid, unchanging hope. Even in the face of an uncertain world, Christ's promises and victory are constant. So what does it mean to be Easter people? Here's what I know: thanks to Easter, no matter what happens here, there is joy in my future.

P.S. if you’re not sure about this living hope and the promise of Easter, contact us.