What does Easter mean to you?

Easter… everyone has different traditions, different beliefs, for what makes Easter, Easter. For me, Easter means eating a nice, late brunch with the family, finding my gift basket, looking for boiled eggs, Easter-egg hunts…but what good is all of that if I don't know the true meaning of Easter? It's all meaningless! Easter should be a day of remembering what Christ did for us! It's the most important thing that has ever happened! Without that one event, we would all be lost. Without the love that God has given us, there would be no hope. God doesn't need us! God didn't have to give his ONLY son to die for US!! We should be giving ourselves to HIM!! He made Himself a living sacrifice for pieces of dust. We don't deserve anything that He has given us. But He gives with love and mercy. There is nothing, NOTHING, in this world that is greater than that which our savior has graciously given to us.

And so, I ask myself, why would God, who made all of creation, the air that we breathe, why would He want to save sinners like us? He loves us more than we could ever know, and we don't give Him enough credit. We say things like, "If God loves us then why did Haiti have this horrible earthquake and kill all of those innocent people?" or "If God loves us then why are there poor people?" or "If God really loves us then how come He doesn't give me what I want?"

God doesn't make bad things happen. However, He also doesn't stop them from happening. If everything in the world was good and everyone had what they wanted, why would we need God? He longs to be close to us. I have heard that some of the best times in a parent's life is when their child has cried out to them for help. It builds their relationship and they become close in that moment. That's the same thing that God wants from us! He wants us to call out to Him for help!! It says so in Jeremiah 33:3. Also, God DOES give us what we want, in the end. Every human on earth wants salvation. We were made with a longing for something greater than what we can grasp. God gives us that. Sometimes we try to fill our gaps with sex or alcohol or drugs, but we all know that we can't be satisfied! This world does not even begin to fill our satisfaction when we compare our lives now to our life in Heaven. This life is like a blink! We waste so much time trying to fight God and fighting ourselves that we completely MISS the point of our existence!! Why do we exist? What is our purpose? God designed us all differently, but we all have the same purpose: to glorify God! What greater purpose is there? And it's totally free! All we have to do is say "yes" and God helps us to overcome ourselves! It's a difficult road, but it's well worth it when you're in Heaven, receiving rewards for working for God on earth. I can't even imagine the things that martyrs receive. I envy them. Not because of their rewards, but for their courage. Can you imagine actually dying just because you believe in a god that others disagree with? It makes me feel too comfortable in my own environment. I feel like I should more…out there. Even though I'm here in Panama, it doesn't seem like I'm doing enough to proclaim the name of Jesus. In the Bible it says something about how when people accept you for who you are, you aren't living a real Christian life, that you most people will NOT like you because of your faith. I haven't had anyone hate me for love Jesus, and I'm ashamed of that.

Anyways… happy Easter everyone J Don't forget to thank Jesus for what He did for you, even though He didn't have to. Love you all. Be blessed.

P.S. I love Bocas del Toro sunsets :)