Spring is having a hard time springing and staying sprung here in east Texas. Passover is here. Easter is nearly here. The flowers, grass, trees, and bass all know it's time. They are trying to do their spring thing, but the weather is a bit temperamental and uncooperative.
One spring day barely clocks in a full 24 hours before cold winds, cold rain, and white, fluffy stuff shoves spring aside. Somewhere in Minnesota a young child must have prayed for Texas weather, and God answered by swapping theirs with ours.
Be not disheartened! This one thing I know --- Spring will prevail! The grass will need mowing. The flowers will need photographing. The bass will need a few moments of oxygen and a photo op with a proud fisherman.
Fear not, grandpaw! You WILL get to wear the plaid shorts over your belly button and your black socks over your calves. Fret not, biker friend! A day is coming when you can ride sleeveless again without your teeth chattering. Keep the faith, everyone. Spring will spring and stay sprung.
How do I know? Because that's the way God set the seasonal table of earth. God is a God of order, not chaos. God set the earth and all other planets in perfect order. God scheduled the rotation precisely so that spring would follow winter, summer would follow spring, autumn/fall would follow summer, and winter would follow autumn/fall.*
It is no coincidence that Jesus died and rose again in the spring. Spring is symbolic of new life returning to barren ground, branches, vines, and limbs. In the spring, stuff underground breaks out of earthly graves and rises to fulfill its purpose. So did Jesus.
Like the seed in the soil, Jesus was buried. But only for three days. On the third day, the Seed split, Life burst forth out of that grave, and the Lily of the Valley arose!
Hallelujah! Christ arose!
Just as surely as He arose, He will return. Just as surely as spring will win out over winter, Jesus will come back for His bride, the Church. Just as surely as the allergists among us need to refill their prescriptions soon, so the redeemed of the Lord need to renew their faith that Jesus is risen and coming again soon.
Sprung Free,
Perry Crisp
*Translation for Men: Spinner bait and spawn/Turkey season follow jigs/Duck/Deer/Quail season, worm/topwater fishing follow the spinner bait and spawn/Turkey season, crankbait/Dove season follow worm/topwater fishing, and jigs/Duck/Deer/Quail season follow crankbait/Dove season.
*Translation for Women: Shopping for Easter clothes follows Christmas shopping, Memorial Day/4th of July/Back to School sales follow Easter shopping, Labor Day/pumpkin/turkey sales follow Memorial Day/4th of July/Back to School sales, and Christmas shopping follows Labor Day/pumpkin/turkey sales.
Showing posts with label resurrection. Show all posts
Showing posts with label resurrection. Show all posts
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, April 13, 2009
The Miracle Named Meagan
Somewhere between 10:30 pm and midnight on October 1st, 2008, life drastically changed for a young man and young lady. While driving to a relative's home, their automobile spun out of control. The car flipped and spun several times. The young man was trapped inside the car with a broken leg. The young lady, Meagan, was thrown violently from the car.
Meagan laid on the ground a few feet from the car unconscious until early the next morning. She was carried by helicopter to a local hospital with critical injuries to her vertebrae, broken bones in her pelvis, arms, ankle, and elbow, and a ruptured spleen.
Days, weeks, and months passed by while Meagan struggled with her injuries. Progress was slow. An occasional reaction to a whisper in her ear or a squeeze of her hand. A grunt. A moan. Her eyes opened just enough to keep her loved ones' hopes alive.
Meagan endured numerous surgeries and complications from the injuries as well as cellulitis from the ant bites she incurred while laying on the ground that night.
I visited Meagan in her hospital room in late November or early December. She struggled to keep her limbs under control. Her feet and hands only wanted to curl up. She did not respond to my attempts to talk to her. As I watched her kick and looked into what appeared to be vacant eyes, I wanted to help her, but I felt so helpless. She is near the same age as my own daughter.
I talked to her and prayed with her, but I left feeling a heavy burden. My faith was weak. I feared she might remain in that condition for the rest of her life.
Yesterday was Easter Sunday, 2009. It has been six months since Meagan's accident. She was at church with us!
As I gave the invitation at the end of the morning worship service, I looked over to my left and saw a small group huddled at the altar, but I didn't know who it was.
A few minutes later, Meagan came up out of that little prayer huddle, and with her mother's help, she walked toward me with a huge smile on her face. She had just prayed to receive Christ as her personal Savior!
God is still in the miracle business. He proved it to me again on resurrection Sunday. He resurrected a broken body from a hospital bed and gave her the will to fight and the strength to walk.
Yesterday, Meagan walked to Jesus and gave herself to Him in such beauty and grace. While Meagan's body continues to recover and heal, her soul is now completely alive and restored! Over 2,000 eyes were wet with tears of joy. We saw a resurrection miracle on Easter Sunday!
He has risen! He's alive! He still redeems. He still heals. He will never leave us nor forsake us. October 1st, 2008 was Meagan's "Friday." It looked like life and hope were almost over for her. But April 12th, 2009 was her "Sunday!" Hope is alive!
I believe!
Perry Crisp
Meagan laid on the ground a few feet from the car unconscious until early the next morning. She was carried by helicopter to a local hospital with critical injuries to her vertebrae, broken bones in her pelvis, arms, ankle, and elbow, and a ruptured spleen.
Days, weeks, and months passed by while Meagan struggled with her injuries. Progress was slow. An occasional reaction to a whisper in her ear or a squeeze of her hand. A grunt. A moan. Her eyes opened just enough to keep her loved ones' hopes alive.
Meagan endured numerous surgeries and complications from the injuries as well as cellulitis from the ant bites she incurred while laying on the ground that night.
I visited Meagan in her hospital room in late November or early December. She struggled to keep her limbs under control. Her feet and hands only wanted to curl up. She did not respond to my attempts to talk to her. As I watched her kick and looked into what appeared to be vacant eyes, I wanted to help her, but I felt so helpless. She is near the same age as my own daughter.
I talked to her and prayed with her, but I left feeling a heavy burden. My faith was weak. I feared she might remain in that condition for the rest of her life.
Yesterday was Easter Sunday, 2009. It has been six months since Meagan's accident. She was at church with us!
As I gave the invitation at the end of the morning worship service, I looked over to my left and saw a small group huddled at the altar, but I didn't know who it was.
A few minutes later, Meagan came up out of that little prayer huddle, and with her mother's help, she walked toward me with a huge smile on her face. She had just prayed to receive Christ as her personal Savior!
God is still in the miracle business. He proved it to me again on resurrection Sunday. He resurrected a broken body from a hospital bed and gave her the will to fight and the strength to walk.
Yesterday, Meagan walked to Jesus and gave herself to Him in such beauty and grace. While Meagan's body continues to recover and heal, her soul is now completely alive and restored! Over 2,000 eyes were wet with tears of joy. We saw a resurrection miracle on Easter Sunday!
He has risen! He's alive! He still redeems. He still heals. He will never leave us nor forsake us. October 1st, 2008 was Meagan's "Friday." It looked like life and hope were almost over for her. But April 12th, 2009 was her "Sunday!" Hope is alive!
I believe!
Perry Crisp
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