Tag: easter

It’s time for hope.

March 31st, 2024

I was looking for a cute little not cheesy quote to pop into my letterboard for the cafe at church this morning and I happened upon this one:

“Easter is the soul’s first taste of spring”

To me; living in Washington these last 9 years, there is nothing more hopeful than the first taste of spring.

There’s nothing more hopeful than being able to open my window, to wear shorts even though it’s still a little chilly or to be able to sit outside on a patio.

It’s amazing the hope that light brings.

Shortly after my mom died I was having so much trouble sleeping and I’d wake up in the dark early morning hours and just hope for the light. I realize that part of it came from getting to my parents house about 4am on the day she passed and physically just waiting for the light to come because maybe it would change something.

I’m always in some way waiting for the light hope brings.

I try to imagine the hope the women felt when they discovered the empty tomb. Did they even know?

Did they know that, that singular moment would become a reminder that we can hope even in the darkest, most devoid of light times?

Did they realize they were stepping into spring?

I think I’m ready to step into spring, no matter how much my whole self is trying to fight against that fact.

I had a conversation Friday that yesterday I spent the whole day reminding myself that the words I said were ok. That I didn’t need to second guess myself.

That I was allowed to step into spring.

That I was allowed to step into hope again.

It’s a hard thing to do when life situations, the noise around you and your brain is trying to remind you of all the ways stepping into hope is not for you.

How stepping into hope can set you up for heartache and pain and being blindsided.

How stepping into hope is hard.

But, I think of those women in front of the empty space where a man they loved and cared for had laid and I wonder if they were scared to step into the hope that maybe it wasn’t over yet.

I wonder if stepping into hope, into spring was hard, because what if it was something worse?

But, if I’ve learned anything about those women in all my years in church and teaching Sunday school and Bible classes in college is this:

They did hard things.

Even hard things like stepping into hope and choosing to believe the light was not only coming; but there.

I don’t know what you believe or don’t believe, if today is just another Sunday or some form of in between.

I do know that we all could use a little extra hope and light; however that may look.

So to you from me; here’s a reminder:

You’re allowed to have hope.

That things will change.

That it will be different.

That you’re strong enough.

That even though can do hard things; they won’t always be hard.

You’re allowed to believe and take hold of the fact that it isn’t over yet.

With love,

Meg
a late april easter

April 21st, 2019

My faith has been elastic the last few years.
It has stretched out to fit big truths that need to be held and it has been scrunched down to fend off words that don’t need to be kept.
I believe that there has been times where it has broken and torn and then stitched back together to try again.
My faith has for all purposes, changed and I’ve been given a fresh perspective on what it looks like.
I know it seems incredibly stereotypical of me to write about Jesus on Easter but, the Jesus I’m going to talk about is one I’ve found never in a place Jesus “should” be.

I’ve been finding Jesus at bars or parties, I’ve been finding Jesus in my anger and confusion and loneliness.
I’ve been finding Jesus in my mess, my literal mess in my room.
I’ve been finding Jesus in moments eating taquitos and in text conversations with my roommate.
I’ve been finding Jesus in people who would never deem themselves people with Jesus.

A little over a year ago I wrote a blog at a bar entitled “In the midst of it all” where I talked about being unsure in my faith. And in this last year I have gone to church less than I ever have and I think in doing so I’ve made space to find Jesus in places I didn’t think I could or ever would.
I’ve always been an advocate for choosing to see the good in everything everywhere. Of choosing to see the holy, the lovely and the Christ in everyone and everything.
Sometimes, that’s easier to me without the lenses of the church. I’ve always gone to church out of habit, out of requirement- not that anyone ever told me I had too, but I just thought I was supposed too.
And this year I felt the freedom to step back when I needed too and to take a breath when I needed too and to step back in when I needed too. And to choose to go when I didn’t want to but truly felt I should.

And it changed something inside of me.

I believe I changed in a way where I became capable of loving more, and loving with less borders and also giving more boundaries to my love out of protection of my own self.
I think of this on Easter for many reasons.
To me, this year, Easter is a reminder to keep going. To keep moving forward.
To keep living.
To keep choosing to see love in people and don’t be held up by walls.
To see people who they are.
To see people with eyes that aren’t full of hate but of hope.
To me Easter is a reminder to keep seeing people.
I have a bracelet on my wrist that I bought for my baeby sharks. The inside of it has in scripted “keep fucking going”.
I know that seems aggressive for words on Easter.
But, shouldn’t we all be doing just that?
I don’t know what you believe or don’t believe. I don’t know what you’ve been hurt by or who you’ve been hurt by. I don’t know if you feel like you belong or feel like you’re just out of the frame of the picture.

But, what I want you to know today is this:

Easter is a lot of things. It’s a day where dead things came to life. It’s a day where it was declared the last word has not been spoken.
It’s a day that’s signed with love.
BUT it’s also a day of newness and day to remind ourselves that we can stand up and keep moving forward.
Today, on this day, in this moment, you can keep moving forward. You can take a breath and choose to see what is lovely and good and hopeful around you.
It might be Jesus to you and it might not.
Find the good, the moments, find the hope in what isn’t hopeful and keep moving forward.
I think I’m still in the midst of it all. I think that I still have places where I’m coming from the middle and looking down into to it to see what’s happening but that’s ok. That’s more than ok.

It’s good.

With love,

Meg

Tag: easter

It’s time for hope.

a late april easter