It's Not In Vain

Can I just tell you in all my years of celebrating Easter this one has been the most moving!! I guess it started on Friday really taking in the fact that on that one particular Friday many years ago my Savior died a very gruesome death!  One that I could possibly NOT fathom! Pondering over His death for even me for two days made me very uneasy!  But I quickly wanted to look on the bright side and I knew Sunday was coming!  I woke Sunday morning and the first thing to pop into my mind was, He's ALIVE!  He's ALIVE and I am forgiven!! Heavens gates are open wide!! Praise the Lord He is ALIVE!! Wow!!  I hope yesterday was a day of great joy for you as if was for me!!  My kids thought I was a little crazy with excitement on the way to church....A little Hallelujah, Amen!  Lol!!

I took the kids to see "Soul Surfer" on Friday night.  They had been wanting to see it since it came out.  It was an incredible movie.  Many life lessons and a movie that was credited to Christ! I am very thankful that there are some people out there that want to make movies that reflect on Him.  Of course, I cried a few times in the movie, and was overwhelmed with this girl's determination and humble attitude.  If you haven't seen the movie I don't want to give too much away but there was a shark attack and the surfer girl lost her arm.  As we were leaving the theater, my sweet son looks at me and says, "and that's why, I will NEVER be a surfer!"  I laughed when he first said it and immediately told my friend that was with me but I feared my child might have missed the point.

We sometimes can't help our circumstances and we may never know why we have to endure certain hardships but that isn't for us to dwell on.  God gives each of us our own story.  We can write that story so that it will resonate the magnificent King that lives in our hearts or we can trash His very existence by laying down in the pit of our misery!  This young lady in the movie chose with one arm to not be defeated but to shine.  We must do the same thing.

As a parent, in the last few weeks I have had countless experiences where I have wanted to just lay down and quit.  Whether it has been from sheer exhaustion from dealing with disobedient kids or the apathy and attitudes from my kids.  Maybe you can relate if you have school age kids.  Maybe for you it has been the stress of not having a job or not knowing if you will have one in the near future.  Maybe it is that you are in a seemingly hopeless marriage that no matter which way you turn there is turmoil.  Maybe your experience is just defeat being all around you or the lurking consequences from past mistakes.  I don't know what your story is but we all deal with wanting to give in and give up on life and situations at hand.  I came to a realization before watching the movie that I refused to give up on the basis that I did NOT want to teach my children that when life is hard we should throw in the towel.  I wanted to teach them to fight with His Word and to never give up or give in.  I have showered them with scripture over the last several weeks from putting it in their lunch boxes, writing it in cards, or laminating it to hang in their rooms.  I don't want them to lose sight of Him in the midst of hard times.  I hope that is a mind set that you have always had but if not it is never too late to change.  I don't know if my desire to not give up for my kid’s sake was exactly the most Biblical but I do believe that the Lord knows my heart is to never lead any astray including my children!  And I have been clinging to the fact that my labor for Him is NOT in vain!

1 Corinthians 15:58 "therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

We are all in this together.  Yes some of us will have more visible battles.  We may have to fight one armed but we all have a battle to fight.  I guess you could say my son was being smart in his comment of never wanting to be a surfer, Ha!!  In his little mind he is avoiding danger! Lol!  Sometimes it may not be so simple; God may allow danger in your life or may even call you into it.  It's up to us to decide if we will lay down in our pity or if we will stand on His Word!  God didn't promise a life of ease but He does promise eternal life in Him if we have accepted Him as our Savior.  That's where the resurrection comes in.  We can be overflowing with joy because He has CONQUERED the greatest pit there is.....death!!  In Him we have victory!!  Victory is ours for the taking!!! Our momentary struggles pale in comparison to His resurrection power! Oh how exciting that is to me!!! Hallelujah, praise the King!! He is risen!! He is risen indeed!!

Praying today that you focus on the battle Won, that you rise out of misery and into His power, and you surround yourself with His Word of Truth!  A life for Him is NEVER in vain!!  Never give up or give in!!