Laura L. Smith
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What if Easter Was "Cancelled"?

4/2/2024

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I ordered a Honey Baked Ham and turkey.
I found the cutest Easter plates and napkins.
I knew the perfect dress to wear at Easter service, the pastel one with all the colors of a basket of dyed eggs.
My sweet mama was coming.
Both of my incredible daughters who live out of state were coming.
And I got Covid.
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The Easter dress I planned to wear and plates I planned to use.
If you met my mom you’d think she was in her fifties, but she’s in her seventies, and although she’s super healthy her age group puts her at high risk. One of my daughters is running the Boston marathon in a couple of weeks (I know! Amazing!) and the other is a college athlete with spring games right around the corner. The last thing I want for any of them is to be sick, in danger, or run down for the things they’re looking forward to.

And so, everyone did a pivot. The girls decided to go to my mom’s instead of our house, so at least they’d get to spend Easter together. Our youngest didn’t want to miss out on that fun and decided to join them.

And so we sent the 9.5 pound ham with our son. And Friday morning as my kids were driving towards my mom I stayed quarantined in the guest room (where I’d been all week) with a pile of books and my laptop wearing sweats and feeling exhausted.

Yes, I cried. Yes, I wanted to see my family. Those are real feelings, and Jesus has no problem with us being real with our emotions. But also I was filled with peace that this was the right decision to love my family well. To keep them from getting sick. I was flooded with gratitude for a family I love, who wants to be together, but dang, I wanted to be with them. 

And here’s the thing. God is still good. Good Friday still happened. Jesus, the Son of God, the One who is seated on the throne of heaven still gave His life for you and me out of pure, selfless love for us.

Jesus loves you and me so much. And nothing. Nothing can change that. Ever. 
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Romans 8:38
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,  neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:38-39).

No matter my circumstances or your circumstances I know in my heart Jesus is still for us and not against us. He still loves you and me. His love endures forever. He chose us to love for all eternity. He gave up everything for us.
And nothing can change that.
……..
I wrote all this on Friday, because writing is how I sort through my feelings. And I was feeling all the feelings.

Then Sunday morning I tested…negative. And my husband and I threw our things in a bag and drove two and a half hours to my mom’s house and were still able to celebrate Easter with family. That negative test felt like my own personal Easter miracle, like my stone rolled away from my grave. It literally opened the door from the guest room where I’d been quarantining and allowed me to walk out free. And it figuratively removed the barrier from celebrating with people I love.
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The sunset from the guest room where I was quarantined.
On Easter morning over 2,000 years ago a stone was rolled away for ALL of us. No matter what your Easter looked like. No matter what lies ahead of you this week. No matter what that test or email or text said. No matter how your physical or mental wellness feels right now.  No darkness–certainly not spoiled plans or disappointments, or a virus can change that. None of us need to be slaves to our sins or our past or our shame or our fear. Jesus set us free from all of that. Because He loves us. And He invites us to walk out of those musty old graves.
​

Jesus is still doing miracles. He’s still flipping a week long bout with Covid to no longer contagious on Easter morning. He still paints the sky in a kaleidoscope of colors every night. He still reconciles relationships and gives people new chances and opens new doors and offers us the exact insight we need at the exact moment we need it.

And so, powered by Christ’s inexplicable love, we can step out of what’s holding us down or back or under and into His marvelous light. We can find joy in the sound of a bird song or a sip of warm coffee or the melody of our favorite song. We can take one step forward. And tomorrow another, heads held high. Because no matter what’s going on in our lives–you and me? We are fully loved by the Creator of the Universe, the Prince of Peace, the Lord of all, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. He is risen indeed.

​
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Are We Living Like Easter Happened?

4/6/2023

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Do you remember what happened on Sunday? I know, sometimes I forget what day it is, let alone what happened three days ago. Personally, since Sunday I’ve had to say goodbye to both my daughters who went back to their college and apartment. Which means I also got a little weepy. I’ve made meals, graphics, and beds. I’ve gone on a run in the woods and a grocery run. Not to mention all the texts, conversations, stories, posts, and songs that I’ve given headspace to since Sunday. Our minds are full. Our lives are noisy. Wait, what was Sunday again?
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Is your mind still on Easter?
It was Easter.
The day Jesus conquered death and sin.
The day dead things came to life.
The day freedom came to all.
The day Jesus declared nothing could ever separate us from His love. Not even an enormous boulder, false accusations, betrayal, torture, finger pointing, excruciating pain, loss, sorrow, grief, or death.

And Jesus, the One who did all this for you, for me, says:
  •  “Remain in me, and I will remain in you.” John 15:4
                When we stick with Jesus, He will never leave us. His truth and promises and love and power                       become part of who we are.

  • “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!” John 15:11
            Jesus wants to flood you with joy, so much joy you won’t be able to contain it all. It will ooze out                 of you and bring joy to those around you.

  • “I chose you.” John 15:16
             The God of the Universe chose you. All the times you had your hand up, put your name in the                      hat, applied, asked, secretly hoped to be chosen? Jesus chooses you as His daughter or son, to                    love, to protect, to fight for.

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John 15:16
These promises from Jesus are still true. No matter what you faced so far this week. No matter what you’re staring down for the rest of the week. Jesus still gave up His life out of perfect, faithful, never ending love for you. And then He wrestled death and sin to the ground and rose from the dead. This changes everything.

Because if Jesus can overcome death, promises to stay with us, fills us with joy, and chooses us as His own, then everything’s going to be okay. We will get through the hard things. We don’t have to do it alone. We can find joy where we are. We don’t have to prove ourselves. We’re already chosen and loved.
I want to cling to these truths everyday.

So yes, Easter was a couple of days ago. But what happened that day? What Jesus did for you? The amazing grace and abundant life He offers you? His love? Those things never expire. They are true today, tomorrow and always. Let’s live like it. 

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DAFFODILS  AND  OTHER  MIRACLES

3/24/2021

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These daffodils. They truly blow me away. There are countless bunches of them bursting in bright yellow all over my back yard. I didn’t plant a single one of them. I have never once watered, weeded, or fertilized them. And yet every single year they push up through the ground and flourish. They even miraculously multiply. All by themselves.
​This is how Jesus operates.

Picture
The daffodils growing in the woods behind my house.
Jesus reminds us that it’s not OUR work that gets things done, but His. Now, disclaimer, Jesus does ask us to work. We’ve talked about that here on the blog--for example, just last week and here in 2019. God commissioned mankind to “tend and watch over the garden (Genesis 2:15).” Clearly, we’re no longer in the Garden of Eden, but anything that consists of tending or watching over this world counts. Cutting someone’s hair is “tending” to a person who lives on this earth. Teaching someone a new skill or concept is “tending” to the knowledge of someone on this earth. Studying wave charts or babysitting or managing accounts or parenting all count as “watching over” things on this earth. God assigns us work. However…it is not all up to us. Never was. Never will be. 

When a crowd of around 20,000 people who were listening to Jesus teach got hungry, Philip said, “Even if we WORKED for months, we wouldn’t have enough money to feed them!” John 6:7. Another disciple named Andrew found a boy with two fish and five loaves. Jesus took that and not only fed the masses, but there were twelve baskets of leftovers. Andrew had to find the boy. He had to do some work, but it wasn’t up to Andrew to feed the crowd that would fill a soccer stadium. That’s where Jesus stepped in. ​
​
A bit later in verse 28 when the crowd asks, ““What must we do to do the works God requires?” Jesus answers, “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.” 

The work we’re supposed to do is to believe in Jesus, and let that flow into all of our work--into the dishes and deadlines and debit card statements. We do the things we’re supposed to, like find a boy with his lunchbox, and then believe that Jesus is who He says He is, and let Him feed the crowd.
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Jesus asks us to believe who He says He is in all of our work.
When Peter was asked if Jesus would pay his taxes, Jesus gave Peter  some work to do.
“Go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin.” 
Peter was a fisherman. That was his job. Jesus told him to go catch a fish. And then to open its mouth. If Peter did the work, if Peter would believe, Jesus would do the miracle. 
Jesus followed up with, “Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.” Matthew 17:27.

Again Jesus asks the disciples to do a task, trust Him, and He’ll provide the miracle. “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you untying it?’ say, ‘The Lord needs it.’” Luke 19:30-31

The disciples had to walk to the next village. They had to look for the colt. They had to give a certain answer, untie the colt and bring it back. It took awhile. It required physical effort. It might have made the disciples uncomfortable or nervous to grab a large animal and use as their explanation, “The Lord needs it.” Wouldn’t it look like they were stealing? What if the owner doubted them? But they believed Jesus when He said this would all work out. They did the assignment and things went down exactly how Jesus said they would. The owner let them walk away with that colt. Why? Because Jesus does miracles.
And that drops us off on Palm Sunday as Jesus rides that donkey into Jerusalem knowing full well the miracle of all miracle He’s about to perform--the one where He dies on a cross, but comes back to life. For this one, all He asks is for us to believe.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.--John 3:36
PictureJohn 3:36

Kind of like those daffodils. 
It doesn’t matter if I water them or not. It doesn’t matter if I weed around them or put up some kind of cage to keep critters from nibbling. They come back to life every spring.

What is it you’re trying super hard to bring to life right now? 
Where do you feel like you don’t have enough food or resources or dollars or clout?
Do you believe Jesus can change that? Do you believe He's working? When He asks you to do something, do you believe it's for a reason?

Jesus can feed you in abundance, provide more than you ever imagined, pull money out of a fish, and His word is the only endorsement you need to untie that donkey. To live in His love, to experience His grace, all you have to do is believe He is who He says He is. He did all the work for you. 

Easter is coming. And with it new life. Whatever feels dead in your life, like it could use a makeover or redo or revival, that’s Jesus’ jam. He’s all about second chances and bringing things out of the grave. Do what He asks you, whether that’s catching a fish or going into town or running some numbers or making a call or doing some research or trying one more time, and then wait for it--His miracle is coming. 

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True Reflections, a 30-day devotional diving into our true, amazing identity in Christ starts Monday, April 5. If you already signed up for the FREE digital version it will arrive in your inbox on Saturday, April 3. Print copies have been mailed out, but it’s not too late to join the fun! If you haven’t signed up yet, but still want to click here*
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WHO  is  HE?

4/16/2019

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My daughter and I had to weave our way through an Easter carnival in the middle of the town square to get to Scoops. The festivities included a jumpy house, sand art, an outdoor viewing of Hop, and of course photos with the Easter Bunny. We made our way through toddlers and parents and into the ice cream parlor where we proceeded to order bowls of gooey peanut butter brownie and rich coffee toffee ice cream. As we sat down to a table to enjoy our cool, creamy treats the Easter Bunny entered the shop. I was primarily focused on my daughter, but couldn’t help being a little startled when the Easter Bunny took off her costume head, and there was the face of a normal looking mom with a white, furry, bunny body. Of course I knew she was in a suit, but all of a sudden she wasn’t at all what she seemed.
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Later that night in our hotel room, we could hear the people in the room next to us. Clearly. Too clearly. They were reading someone’s text and complaining loudly about the person who sent it. My daughter and I wished they would pipe down, but I was also sad for the person who sent the text. Pretty sure they wouldn’t have wanted it to be read aloud (and who knew the audience would also include us?). I’m also certain they wouldn’t have wanted to be talked about like that. The receiver of the text went on to share how she’d responded, which was way different than what she was shouting through hotel room doors. She wasn’t being consistent. In the privacy of her hotel room, her mask came off, revealing a different side of her.
 
Unfortunately, we’re all like this sometimes. We tend to wear certain faces for certain people—to appear stronger, braver, smarter, more put together, like we can handle it, like we’re okay or cool (even if we’re not). We sometimes say one thing, but feel completely different about it. Sometimes we act differently when we’re alone, then when we’re out in public, or speak differently when we’re with one group compared to how we speak when we’re with another.
 
But Jesus? Jesus is exactly who He says He is. He is always the same. He wears no masks and speaks no lies. He is always honest, kind, King of Kings, Holy, powerful, wise, brave, our Rescuer, our Redeemer, the Creator, strong, true, and loving. Always.
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As we’re midway through Holy Week (the week leading up to Easter), I’m reading about Jesus in those final days of His life on earth. When He rode into town on a donkey and people waved palm branches at Him, Jesus was all these things (Mark 11:7-10). On that day everyone recognized Him as king—powerful, wise, and holy. But Jesus knew He was riding into town to rescue everyone. He knew what was ahead, and He did it anyway, because He is consistently strong, true, brave, and loving.
 
When Jesus overturned the tables at the temple, yes, He was angry (Mark 11:15-17). But only because He loves God the Father and His people, and He saw that the people were making a mess of things. Just like a parent snatches matches out of the hands of a toddler, using a firm voice, Jesus removed the danger from His children. Because He loves them. Because in wisdom He knows better. Because He’s never afraid to stand up for what is right.
 
When the religious officials belittled and questioned Jesus (Matthew 26:62-64), Jesus initially bit His tongue. He is holy, the Creator of all and didn’t have to come up with a snide comment or answer questions He didn’t want to. As High King of Heaven, He has both the wisdom and the authority to remain silent if He chooses. And when Jesus decided to speak, He declared with full authority that He will be ‘seated in the place of power at God’s right hand.’
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Photo by Daria Nepriakhina on Unsplash
On the cross Jesus was still King of Kings, still loving us, still bravely there to rescue us, not because He had to, but because He wanted to (Luke 23:26-49). This is who our Lord is. Never changing. Always faithful. We never have to worry about Jesus taking off a mask, about being different than who He says He is. If Jesus tells us something this morning, or if He said it over 2000 years ago, we can know it is 100% true. Jesus won’t change His mind, or say something different when He’s hanging out with someone else. He’ll never turn on us or let us down.
 
Jesus? He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. —Hebrews 13:8. He is honest, kind, King of Kings, Holy, powerful, wise, brave, our Rescuer, our Redeemer, the Creator, strong, true, and loving. Always. Let’s marinate ourselves in who our Savior is this Holy Week as we remember how He died on the cross to save us. Because He loves us and He wants us with Him always.
​
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    Laura  L. Smith

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  • Brave Woman Mighty God
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