Easter is my favorite. I love Easter egg hunts. I love waking up early and going to sunrise service, and then dressing up and going to Church later. I love lunch with family and Easter pictures. I really just love it all! (even though this year I didn’t do any of that because I’m home with our sweet, 6 day old Selah Willow!)
This morning I kept thinking about the one who feels left out of church. It’s funny that Easter morning would make me think of that, but after I dressed Jubilee up in her Easter dress and sent her to church with Chris, that was what was on my mind. The one who feels like they don’t belong.
There are so many people who feel out of place walking into the doors of a church. So many people who feel like they just don’t quite fit the mold. But today is kind of like a one size fits all invitation for everyone to come. Maybe it’s because Grandma is expecting you to sit in the pew next to her, or maybe it’s because it’s just a family tradition that can’t be broken, but all over the world today people walk into the doors of churches and don’t walk back in again until next Easter.
That used to be me. I used to go to Easter service just as tradition, just for my family, just because it’s what you do when you live in the South.
So if you feel left out of church and religion, I get it, and this is for you.
He is risen.
He is risen for you. For every mistake you’ve ever made. For every time you’ve ever hurt someone or been hurt. For every night you wish you could take back. He is risen. For the ache in your chest that won’t seem to go away. For all of the loss. For that thing that you regret the most. He is risen. For your family. For the child that won’t talk to you anymore and for the parent that doesn’t seem to care. For the child who has never known what it’s like to feel safe. He is risen. For the words you wish you could take back and for the words you wish you could forget. He is risen. For all of the ways you feel like a failure and all of the ways you feel like you can’t keep up. He is risen. For the one whose heart is heavy in their chest and the one who can’t seem to sleep at night because you can’t keep the anxiety at bay. He is risen.
Today is for you. Jesus died for you, and He would do it again even if it were only for you. Even if you were the only person in the world, He would have still done it for you. Today is the day that His eyes opened up again after He was dead in the tomb. Today is the day that his lungs expanded and He took the breath that conquered death, and it was for you. It was for all of us. It was so that we could spend forever with Him. So that we could overcome all obstacles and all odds. So that we could be free from sin and death.
He is risen. And so you, dear one, can rise out of the dust and take His hand. You belong. You aren’t left out of His love. It’s the most safe and perfect place for you to be.
Matthew 28:5-6 NLT
Then the angel spoke to the women. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead, just as he said would happen.
With messy hair and wild grace,
Ellyn
1 Comment
This is absolutely beautiful, thank you for sharing!