Resurrected and Alive

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You care for the land and water it;                              

    you enrich it abundantly.

The streams of God are filled with water

    to provide the people with grain,

    for so you have ordained it.[d]

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You drench its furrows and level its ridges;

    you soften it with showers and bless its crops.

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You crown the year with your bounty,

    and your carts overflow with abundance.

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The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;

    the hills are clothed with gladness.

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The meadows are covered with flocks

    and the valleys are mantled with grain;

    they shout for joy and sing.

Psalms 65:9-13 NIV

This week has been a busy one for us. As I slowed to begin to rejoice in the Easter season, I began to see all of creation coming alive around me. It seemed to have suddenly gone from the dead of winter to bursting forth with life! Trees are blossoming. Tulips and daffodils are blooming. A pair of geese were searching the neighborhood watering spots for a nesting place. 

God tells us that creation has cycles to show us about Himself. The stark images of trees, sleeping bulbs, and dry seeds all give us the appearance of death. It seems all hope is lost, but suddenly with the warmth of the sun, life springs forth with buds, and leaves, and flowers and fruit. What appeared dead, is now bursting with life. 

Are not our lives just the same? Our dead lives, our dead souls, our dead works suddenly become alive when Christ enters in. Christ gives our lives purpose, our souls eternal life, and our works are no longer selfish, but fruitful witnesses for Christ. Yes, life will have rough spots, just as the summer will get hot and hard. These will be times of growth, times to help us through when the showers of blessing seem scarce. But in the end of our days, the autumn of our lives, we will see the fruits of Christ in our lives. 

May the resurrection of Christ bring hope and purpose to our lives.

Blessings, 

Gail

Hey Kids:

We often hear the analogy of living in darkness as being a life without Christ and without purpose. 

Let's try an experiment to see how darkness affects seeds and plants.

Place a damp paper towel in a plastic sandwich bag. 

Place 2 or 3 seeds on the towel and close the bag. 

Tape it in a sunny window. 

You have created a mini greenhouse.

Now do the same with a second bag only this time place the bag with the seeds in a dark place, maybe under a cabinet. 

Keep a daily journal noting the changes occurring in each bag.

How are they the same/different?

How do you think a life lived in darkness, without Christ, is the same/different from a life lived with Christ at the center?

Discuss your results with your parents and other kids. 

Do you know someone who needs the light of Jesus to shine in their lives?