A sad "see ya' later", but the hope of Easter is there...

Tomorrow we will celebrate the life of an incredibly special lady.  Grandma Rosie (Joyce Rosenbusch) has been a part of my life as long as I can remember....24 years to be exact.  That is one of the special things of being a part of a small country church as a child.  Everyone treated you like a grandchild and lavished their love on you.  If I ever needed a word of encouragement or love - I could always count on Grandma Rosie.  She is a beautiful, joyful soul and I am going to miss her

LOVE this picture- seems like only yesterday...

As I mourn the passing of another loved one, it is mingled with a bit of envy.  She now is celebrating in Heaven with our Lord Jesus, and she is with my Amanda.  Despite the envy, I love that thought.  I can just imagine Granny Kelley, Grandma Rosie and Amanda chatting together while cooking or quilting.....

As we enter this Easter weekend, it is another holiday without Amanda, another painful first.  This weekend, for me, is right up there with Christmas.  I dread it.  It already hurts.  Sharing that with a dear friend recently, she said something that literally made me catch my breath and look at this weekend with different eyes.

Amanda will spend Easter in heaven - with Jesus.  

The whole reason that we have hope and anticipation of spending eternity in heaven with Amanda is because of the events we will celebrate this weekend.   Like my counselor told me this week, Christmas isn't special without Easter.

Easter represents the resurrection of Jesus. He lived a sinless life.  He was crucified on the cross and bore the sins of the entire world so that we could become righteous through His blood.  He died a brutal, painful death.  But that was not the end.  Three days later, he rose from the dead and appeared to his disciples and followers before ascending to Heaven.  THAT is why we have hope.  
We serve a risen Lord.  

And because we have a risen Lord, I have the assurance of seeing Amanda again.  I can't have one without having the other.   As a parent, losing Amanda was not my choice.  I type this with tears streaming down my face as I consider that God sent his only son to this world, knowing the pain and death that Jesus would endure but ultimately knowing that Jesus would overcome the power of the grave.

God knows my heart.  God understands my hurt.  The comfort and peace I find in my Almighty Savior is what gives me the strength to find joy in my days and allows me to face each new day with a purpose.

So as I enter this weekend, it will be with bittersweet feelings.  I miss Amanda more than words can ever express.  I will feel her absence this weekend with a heaviness that will be hard to bear.  The hope, joy and promise of my Risen Savior will be the balm that will comfort me as I take each breath and each step over the next few days.  My mind is incredibly grateful for what this weekend represents to me as a Christian, but my heart breaks at the hole Amanda has left in our family.

As you celebrate this Easter, may you do so with a new view, excitement and awe regarding the importance and significance of what it means.

Easter is my promise and my assurance.....I hope it is yours. 

Luke 24:1-9
But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise.” And they remembered his words, returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.