Easter Weekend Reflections | Personal
What I love the most about Easter time (besides the excuse to eat chocolate and hot cross buns until partially ending up in a diabetic coma) is that the Love of God just hits home... I never really had time for religion - all I saw was holier-than-thou stuck-up people who thought they were better then everyone else and felt free to judge everyone else accordingly.
I always knew about God. But its easy when someone tells you about someone, you can say 'ok cool' and walk away like nothing ever happened. But when you meet someone, it's different. You can’t just pretend that nothing happened and the person doesn’t exist. You were there in their presence. You can’t unmeet someone.
I wasn’t looking for God. And I don’t have an amazing testimony of how I was so lost and caught up in the world either. My life was pretty good and I was a good girl, so quite honestly I didn’t even think I really needed God anyway.
But when I was 15 years old I made a really good friend, and she loved and spoke of God in a way that wasn’t familiar to me - she spoke to and about Him like a close friend, a relationship that didn’t require King James Version english or a full length dress. He was just her friend. She would tell me about Him and constantly invite me to church with her - and she was so constant that the actual reason why I ended up going was just so that she would stop asking;)
And then.
My God.
I met Him.
Just a moment in His presence. I didn’t understand anything at the time. I just know that I have never experienced such a tangible all-consuming love like I did that day. I thought I knew what love was or what it might feel like…but this…words can’t even come close to describing. My eyes were open and my heart set free, and I knew that He was there for me, that He had been excitedly awaiting this moment since the day of my conception.
This was the single moment that changed my destiny forever. I gave my life to the Lord. I surrendered everything I was and wanted to be, and asked Him to lead me and guide me, and take me into everything He purposed for me.
And once again I had all these hefty expectations of the weight of religion, and it just became clearer and clearer that religion is not God’s idea. It’s a man-made system that places people under the law and condemnation. But Jesus sets us free. And He is so close and so personal. In Matthew 27 vs 51 it speaks of how the veil was torn when Jesus died on the cross…everything that once separated man from God was destroyed, we were reconciled to the God of the universe - there is no chasm too wide to that can keep you separated from God. He waits with open arms. No fear or condemnation. No heavy burden. No more insecurities. He takes you and lets you grow into the person you were created to be. He has so much for you…so much more than you could ever perceive with your wildest imagination.
I might not have the most astounding testimony. But I was once a very insecure and shy girl…easily intimidated and always playing it safe. But if you get the chance to meet me today, I’m pretty sure you’d notice I’m a bit different now;)
And if I have you on Facebook, this is why I unashamedly post messages of hope and verses from the Bible. Because maybe I might me that annoying person who constantly invites you to church or drops the God-bomb in conversations. But maybe you should come along and meet my friend instead of me just telling you about Him the whole time;)
John 10 vs 10:
‘I came that they (YES YOU!!) may have life, and that they may have it more ABUNDANTLY’
Happy Easter everyone :)
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