Easter Monday, 2023

It struck me that the day after Easter – sometimes called Easter Monday – is sort of like the day after Christmas.  You had the big celebration; you partied like it was 1999, as the Prince song said (maybe that’s party like it’s 2099 or something now, I’m not sure).  You had all the egg hunts, but then after the dust settles, and the music fades, you are left to yourself and your thoughts.  Or perhaps it’s like the day after the Super Bowl; you are left thinking, “That was really something.  But now what?”

Candidly, I didn’t envision writing this blog today.  But I really felt God prompted me to do so. Isaiah 55:1-2 says, “Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat...why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy?”  Perhaps God has been drawing you and wooing you to “yes” to His offer of salvation from sin.  Only God satisfies; nothing else will quench the thirst.  If you haven’t already maybe, in the aftermath of Holy Week, now is the time to choose to surrender the fight and say “yes” to God.

I had in mind that someone maybe will be reading this who thinks that they can’t come to God because of their past.  I recently heard the story of a girl who stated that she felt like she was the prodigal child from Jesus’ parable in Luke 15.  But in her case, she felt like she couldn’t even decide to go back to the father because of the guilt and shame.  She likened it to the father in the story going to find her with the pigs, picking her up, and cleaning her up.  Today, the peace and joy from God is evident in her countenance. 

This is a beautiful modern-day example of the parable of the lost sheep in Luke 15 – a story told prior to the prodigal son.  Here Jesus said if someone had 100 sheep, but lost 1, he would go and leave the 99, find the 1, and “when he has found it, lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing” (Luke 15:4).  It’s never too late.  Perhaps you need to let Him come and pick you up, clean you up, and do His wonderful work on you.  Or maybe you’re a believer, but you need to come to back to Him, after running from Him after years of doing your own thing.  He won’t react to you with apathy or anger, but with love and open arms. 

One of phrases I’ve been saying a lot lately is life is chapters.  In conclusion, let me illustrate this statement: Two months ago, the Denver Broncos leadership team announced that they had finally found their newest head coach – the seasoned veteran, Sean Payton.  In the press conference, Payton used an analogy that has really stuck with me. He said,

“You come with your standards, but you’re not coming in indicting anyone else’s.  You’re just coming in with, ‘This is how we’re going to teach.  This is how we’re going to meet.  This is how we’re going to practice.’  And I’m not too familiar with maybe how that was [with the Broncos] in the last few years…you really knock the rearview mirror off the automobile.  We’re just moving forward"  (You can find his words at this link from you tube; the time stamp for the quote is about 34:33).

While it remains to be seen what will happen with this year's Denver Broncos (I remain optimistic; I say Denver made a great hire for their new head coach), one thing is clear: it is no longer the dumpster fire that was the Broncos of 2022, it's a new chapter.  In the same way, the life we led before Christ is gone; it's a new chapter, a new page, a new day.

Kevin