FROM FINISH TO START

I'm sitting here in the quiet early morning, listening to the birds outside joyfully greet a new day and it is well with my soul. The peace I feel this morning is entirely because of the hope I have; not just for myself but for all those that I know who have come to the cross and those that will. Is it wrong that I see beauty in the brutality that saved me? Like the beauty of Fall colors of a dying season I imagine a blood-stained cross on a hill with another cross to the left and one to the right. I think about Jesus there dying and how he thirsted and because of that I can drink living water. I think about Jesus in agony crying out to the Father to forgive and because of that I am shown mercy. I think about Jesus' cry to the Father "why have you forgotten me?" Out of that I am remembered and accepted. Most of what I'm feeling this morning is gratitude that I can walk in victory and I get to start at the finish line. All of the work has been accomplished; all the heavy lifting-done. When Jesus walked out of the tomb that couldn't contain Him the Spirit was set free to live within me, where too...He cannot be contained. I don't think there is any more I can say this morning. I'm overwhelmed.

One Drop

Have you ever really looked at what happens when a single drop of water falls into a puddle? When this tiny droplet of water, seemingly powerless on its own, hits the water you think its pretty much over for that droplet-right? It just disappears; it gets absorbed in something bigger and is lost forever without being noticed. This droplet has done little to contribute anything tangible...just an insignificant droplet. Interestingly that although this droplet was short-lived and seems to have gone quietly and become buried in the mass with no real legacy, nothing could be further from the truth. Although the droplet's time was short, it made a huge impact as it came face to face with the water puddle. This tiny insignificant droplet created ripples many time its own size that extended quite far and had great influence on those things in it, on it, and around the fringes.

John 7:38-Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."

Each of us, however small or insignificant we believe ourselves to be, have been given at least one gift that can change the life of another person and do so in a manner that even though we may never see the full impact of it; a random kindness, a gesture or expression of love of any kind, God will not waste it.

2000 years ago a droplet fell to Earth and perhaps you could say it was a tear of hope and a tear of joy. A drop of Living Water that impacted this world in such a way that it was never to be the same but transformed-redeemed. There is no better time than this Easter to reflect on the influence of a single drop from Heaven and the impact He made. What better gift to give back to God than to honor Him and make some waves of our own.

Happy Easter