Day 47 - A Day of Resurrection, a Day of New Life

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Simon Peter, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around Jesus' head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) John 20: 1-9

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Today was EASTER SUNDAY! Today was a day of true resurrection and new beginnings.

After church services, celebrating the Lord Jesus' emergence from the tomb, his freedom from the chains of death, I came home to a brunch of scrambled eggs with onions, tomatoes and cheese, sided with sliced peaches.

The afternoon was peaceful and joyful, as I prepared my share of a family meal, joyful that I could once again bring something to the table, that I now had enough choices in my diet that I could venture past my own private mealtime.

So I made devilled eggs, using the last of my homemade mayonnaise, a splash of red wine vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. They weren't as tangy as I used to make, but I could actually make something, take something, and enjoy something.

I also tossed a large salad, including everything I could now eat -- greens, celery, red onion, plum, hard boiled egg, crumbled bacon, and diced tomatoes. I left the dressing off, and brought my own on the side, so my family could add their own choice of dressing.

Out of the bountiful meal, I was able to eat my fill of eggs and salad, plus baked ham, steamed snow peas, and celery sticks. It was nice to gather at table with family and friends. It was a blessing to share such a celebratory meal.

Although I could not enjoy any dessert, I had something sweet on my plate to look forward to at home -- a phone call from a nice single man.

Yes, I was stepping into a new life, facing down an old fear. I was willing to open myself up to friendship, flirtation, laughter, and the possibility of loving someone again. Maybe not him, but someone, somewhere. This was the first step. I was nervous, but I was ready.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. 1 Peter 1: 3-8