Sometimes unexpected events bring forth unexpected blessings.
We are coming up on a wonderful holiday weekend that is filled with laughter, games, new clothes, kids running, and grills-a-grilling. Well… not this year.
The COVID-19 has taken this year on an unexpected course. With the restrictions that we are under and have been advised to take there will be very little of the above. We all will have to get creative to make this a special Easter weekend.
Why is it so special? Many believe that Easter is a holiday where we commemorate the death of Jesus Christ and the resurrection a few days later. Today is Good Friday. This is a day that many will remember the crucifixion of Christ. Then on Sunday we celebrate something that happened unexpectedly. Christ walked out of his tomb.
It is said that Mary Magdalene was the first to see Christ outside of the tomb. In John 20 of the Holy Bible, Mary sees Jesus and she was scared. It was unexpected. She was there and saw him die. Once the fear subsided she gathers her emotions and realizes that this was a world changing event. A blessing beyond describable.
Many times in life unexpected events will knock us off of our feet. After time passes we look back and see that the hard times made us who we are and many times the fear superseded the event. It wasn’t as bad as we thought and many times it turned into a blessing. I have many stories of this and will gladly share with you offline.
Here is one such story from Corrie Ten Boom:
Ravensbruck was known as one of the worst German concentration camps during World War II. When Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie found themselves imprisoned there, they were disgusted to discover that their barracks were infested with fleas.
When Corrie began to complain, Betsie insisted that they instead give thanks, quoting 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” With some persuasion, Corrie finally joined her sister in thanking God for the fleas.
Several months later, the two sisters expressed their surprise that the camp guards had never come back to their barracks to disrupt or prevent the evening Bible studies they held for their fellow prisoners. It was then that Corrie realized that the very fleas which she had so despised had actually been a God-sent protection from the cruel guards.
Unexpected events will occur in our lives, but I believe we can find a silver lining in anything. The question will be if we are willing to look for them.
Thank you all for taking a read. We will get past this and one day look back at these days and see the blessings that were right in front of us.
Remember social distancing this weekend but make it special. It is still a very special holiday and the tomb is still empty.
torreygarrison 