resurrection

This Easter morning I am in Upstate NY. The weather during the past several days has been stunning. Bright sunshine, warm breezes, and deep blue sky all combined with the sounds of spring, the frogs and the birds, for an unforgettable weekend. What a way to celebrate the power of the resurrection!

This weekend, I have been reminded of the power of the resurrection in another way as well. Bev’s parents have been here with us for the weekend. Some six weeks ago, her Dad had two major surgeries within a week to correct a stomach problem. While the surgeon repaired the stomach, something deeper occurred in the heart. Somehow during that time, the Master Surgeon performed heart surgery as well.

Leonard was always rather driven. He worked incessantly. He seemed somewhat concerned about what people thought about him. The uncertainty of the future frequently bothered him. When it came to issues of the heart, he never gave too much indication of what was going on.

He is different now. Heidi, our oldest daughter, made the statement – I like this grandpa! Something has changed. He spent much of this warm weekend walking around without wearing a shirt. (A miracle for a conservative Mennonite man!) When Esther reminded him of what his mother used to say about not wearing a shirt he responded with – I don’t care! He walked around the property singing. He cried when he expressed his joy at the beauty of the place. He spoke about his heart being happy. He marveled at the sight of thousands of walleye (a fish native to the lake) making their spawning run up the river, their eyes illuminating like Christmas lights when we shone a light on the water after dark. When we went to Lowes together, he told me that he and Esther had reserved their burial plots and had purchased a gravestone with the design of their choice. There was no trepidation about the future, about the uncertainty of death.

For Leonard, resurrection power is personal and real, transforming the soul. The tomb of fear – fear of people, fear of failure, fear of the future is empty this morning. The resurrection power that demolished the grave 2000 years ago still shakes the earth and remains the demonstration of the power of God to bring freedom.