Easter Message

Easter has always been a sign of new life.  With it comes the promise of warmth and sunshine and the knowledge that winter has gone and Spring will surely come again.  As I thought about it, I compared it to seasons in our life.  We've been in the winter season for going on 3 years.  The dark days and below zero winds of life have beaten us down as we've faced each day in sorrow.  We've struggled to remain upright and press on through the bitter wind in our faces knowing that we must (Em wants that for us).  I thought about how many people never have experienced "summer" in their lives.  Our family, while intact, enjoyed the season of "summer" the whole time we were together.  We were a very happy family.  And yes, an occasional storm would blow through or a rainy day here and there but we were together and enjoying and loving life and each other. It had been a blessed time!!  Then fall and winter entered in October of 2005, all in one horrific storm!  We tucked in and have endured the cold winds and dark days.  The brutality of the winter season was something we weren't sure we could survive....a storm that most people (hopefully) will never know.

Now another holiday and another Easter season is on us and we are beginning to see a little sunshine again.  Not in huge quantities but glimpses of warmth again in our lives.  There are still many cold, rainy days but the days of winter at its darkest aren't as often. God promises to give us comfort and joy for our sorrow (Jeremiah 31:13).  He promises to be close to the broken hearted and those crushed in spirit (Psalm 34:18).  He has been faithful!!

We're realizing that the "summer" season our family once experienced may never come again in earthly terms but it will be "summer" again for us when we are all together in Heaven one day.  We've seen some "Spring" days as we see God's faithfulness in our lives with new opportunities for our family as He perfects our purpose here.  We've seen new life and the joy of that in Rydik Jeffrey Wrubel, our precious grandson.  We've seen Sarah blossom into motherhood and some happiness return as the Lord continues to work in her life.  We are grateful for His goodness, His grace and His gifts.  And so it is.....glimpses of Spring.

May each heart renew yourselves this Easter season and ALL that it means!  Emily is with Jesus!!  (We always knew that but are just now starting to feel it......again, a sign of Spring.) For the most part Em never had to experience anything other than summertime in her life with the exception of 1 week in October.  Em's heart was open to Jesus and she believed in His life, His death and sacrifice, and in His resurrection and because of that she has experienced her own.  And one day, for those of us who believe, we will be reunited with her.