Born Free

 Good morning friends,

I woke up last week, Easter morning, to a beautiful sunrise and in my head I was singing“Up from the grave He arose!”

And then just as naturally, came from my deep psyche, the rest of the song,“With a mighty crashing to His toes!”

I didn’t post this last week, because you need to experience Easter without my childhood memories crashing in. But it’s true.  For those of us that were absolutely born into Christian families, and I’m guessing there are many of you reading this blog, the awe of the faith may not be there for many years.  Instead, you may have found yourself sitting on the back pew making funny words to important Hymns.  

You may be able to give me examples.  I think Tony grew up wondering who “Gladly,the Cross-eyed Bear” was. But I’m happy to say that even though my mother told me “Of course you’re a Christian, you prayed to receive Jesus when you were TWO!” My faith became REAL to me when, at 15,  I heard a sermon being preached using the verse in Matthew 23:27 where Jesus was talking to the Pharisees and calling them ‘Whited Sepulchres”. (“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You arelike whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.) 

It was sitting there that the Lord let me see my true self, (Goodie Two Shoes) and encouraged me to come clean with a SaviourWho is waiting to be my Lord.Then two years later, again sitting in a compulsory Bible study (I went to a very conservative High School).  The Bible Study was terribly boring but it was there that the Lord again spoke to me unmistakably about serving Him for the rest of my life professionally.

Because of these instances, I’m a firm believer in having kids in the right environment for God to be present.  I know He could have called me on the way to Damascus to get into trouble, but he knew my personality and that probably wouldn’t have worked for me.What I’m trying to say is that even if we’re ‘born’ into Christianity, we ALL need to meet Jesus personally, no matter how mundane we think the whole enterprise is. God is good, God is faithful, it’s His will to seek and save us.

Have a great week!

Marsha

Housekeeping: We are leaving tomorrow for Hawaii.  Tony’s going to finish teaching his class at the seminary there in person, as the Zoom approach had been troublesome at best.  Our daughter found a cruise that’s cheaper than flying, so of course we have to do that.  We are supposed to have internet, but if we don’t you may not hear from us.  You’ll be in our thoughts and prayers till we reconnect.  

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