It can be said for sure that the celebration of the Resurrection of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is the highlight of my life. For here it is. I remember it was at the cross where I first saw the light, and the burdens of my heart rolled away. Then, I received sight by faith, and now I am happy all day. I will share with you a story of my personal experience with Christ. While many people equate the celebration of the resurrection to Easter bunnies, it’s been so commercialized that we rarely even think about Jesus at all amidst all the candy, bunnies, and photos of us. I’ve learned instead to take this time as a reflection of the cross and the crown, and what that looks like for me as a believer in Christ.
Surely, each of us has our own story, don’t we? I love asking people to tell me their story about how they came to Christ. I marvel at knowing what others in the body of Christ were saved from. Whether some never smoked or chewed or ran around with them that do. There are yet others who have stories like Mary Magdalene of being delivered of the seven demons. Some have been delivered from greed, lust, sex addictions, drug addictions, and so much more. But from whichever journey we came, He found us, and He saved us, and it is because of Him life is worth the living.
I always liked to think of my story as one paralleled with the young girl who walked the streets being picked up by random men. She loved the attention it brought her to dress a certain way, and for a time, that seemed to foot the bill, until it didn’t. She’d had her share of harsh exposures, and now she’s worn, she’s weary, and she’s realizing that this life isn’t filling her any longer. It doesn’t do for her what she thought it would. One day, inwardly, she imagined perhaps someone would come and sweep her off her feet. And it happened: one day, she was dressed in her daisy dukes, she’d done her hair and made up her face to go out for a walk to take the bus to the next destination, but a man pulled up. This wasn’t any ordinary man, though. He drove up alongside her and stopped his car to beckon her attention. While at first she bid him pardon, soon she couldn’t ignore his presence. He was in a Rolls-Royce and dressed very well, almost like a prince. She turned to give him her undivided attention, and he spoke kindly to her about what He thought of her and how He’d take care of her if she got into the car. He promised if she just got into the car, he’d take her places she’d never been, and she’d experience things she’d never dreamt or imagined, for He offered her something different than all the other one-night-stands. He offered her His love. Would she accept it? She could choose to turn Him down and keep looking for something to fill the gaping hole in her soul, but something tells her, He’s sincere, He’s not making things up to get her to get in the car so He could kidnap her.
She gets into the car, and her life is never the same.
That young girl is me. At the age of 17, I’d had my share of abuse, I’d been in a foster home, and I had already become a mother. Whatever I was doing wasn’t doing it for me. One day, a stranger introduced himself. He’d been beckoning me from when I was very young, but He wanted me to commit to Him wholeheartedly now. I knew I was chosen, but I spent a lot of time trying to find fulfillment in other things and people here in this world, which could never fulfill me in the long term. I want to encourage you today, whatever your crutch is, you know, that thing you go to. Is it alcohol? Drugs? Sex? Gambling? What do you use to fill the emptiness when the high is gone? Do you always think the next high will be better, and that will pull you through? It won’t! Only Jesus can do that for you. I’m here to tell you. I sought it, thought I could find life outside of Christ, and was sorely mistaken. Until you accept Him, something will always be missing. It’s why He endured the cross for you, You are His crown. He suffered and died to have you. I’m just here to make you the offer that will change your life. I know it for myself, and I’m a living witness that it’s true. Days of shameand guilt can end now. If you believe in your heart that Jesus did go to the cross for your sin, to buy your pardon, and confess with your mouth that He rose again, and you want Him to be your Lord and King, you can be saved today. If you don’t know Him, try it and see, I promise He won’t disappoint, for He’s never disappointed me!
Here are a few things He can be for you:
- Bring light to your darkness, granting you joy for sorrows
- Heal your wounded/broken heart
- Forgive your sins
- Make you whole and give you a fresh start
- Give you eternal life
The Good Life
KevilynJ
