I was on track to miss it this year. I was a bit grouchy, distracted and pretty well consumed with self. Arriving at church Easter Sunday I was mentally prepared to check out and just make it through the church service.
No such luck.
Gazing out the window during worship I felt the stirring. My throat tightened, my face flushed and streams of salty water started running down my face. Geez tender heart, why do you choose the most inopportune times to overflow!
The conflict, tension and battle burning in my chest barely scratched the surface of what it must have felt like to leave Heaven for a world that was set on rejecting the whole of your identity. You came offering grace and love and you received complete humiliation. But Heaven and earth did collide and He did come and He did conquer and what I call inconveniently timed emotions were evidence of the ongoing, transformative miracle at work in my life.
As quickly as the realization came, it left. The tears were quickly replaced by composed, abundant gratitude. But for one sweet moment, I got it. For a minute the two worlds inside collided and His tenderness reigned.
The second wave of gratitude surfaced in honor of a second set of worlds colliding.
There were no cardiac potatoes or an encouraging card from Mom and Dad but there was ham, mashed potatoes, a huge salad, a card from Hannah, laughter, seconds, apple pie, carrot cake and chocolate chip cookies.
My World Race life collided with my life in Colorado and it was so good. Caring for our team in more ways than I can list the Hartman’s ensured that I did not “check” out during Easter in the Czech but rather that I would embrace the joy of being apart of the body of Christ more than ever.
He has Risen…indeed!
