Heritage of Hope

It has been a rough week at our house. After getting a late start on the week due to the holiday, Jason got noticed late Tuesday night that he was to leave for Louisiana with his job early Wednesday morning to help with the clean up there. They told him not to expect to come home for seven days. Being without him was very hard-we take each other for granted a lot I think, but Raylen and I were making due.

Saturday, Raylen and I went to my mom's to help out with some things at her house, but I left her there in the afternoon so I could get to church to take care of the kids for Saturday night services. On my way to the church I stopped for a coke and while pulling out of the parking lot, a car hit me on my front driver's side. It was a pretty hard crash and my car is really messed up, but thankfully, all I got was a bump on the head and the teens in the other car are weren't hurt at all. The battle now begins with insurance companies, etc. but I am so grateful for God's protection and that Raylen was not with me. Jason got special permission to come home to take care of the situation, so we were so happy to see him pull in the driveway today at noon.

Today in church, I was reminded of something that happened the first night Jason was gone. Raylen got to sleep with me (a treat for her, but good company for me) and we both had a tough time falling asleep with Daddy gone. She asked me to sing to her and so I sang Jesus Loves Me with all the verses. One of the verses says "Jesus loves me He who died..." After I finished that verse Raylen started crying and said "I don't want Jesus to be dead!" I consoled her telling her that it was okay...Jesus didn't stay dead-He's alive!!! That helped for a minute, but she soon started crying for Daddy too.

Since that night, Raylen has asked me several times about Jesus being dead and alive again. I have had the privelage to share with her quick snippets of the amazing thing that Jesus did for us and His miraculous ressurection. Today, as we sang "Stronger" I was overcome with joy that I have a Saviour who isn't dead that I can introduce my daughter too. Think about this: Every other faith in our world is built around a deity that was either once alive or was created by a human. When children of those faiths ask their parents about their gods being dead or alive, there is no hope that the parents can give to the child because death was the final scene for the deity. My faith is different-Jesus wasn't confined to death and burial and certainly wasn't created by human hands. He is God in flesh and by the power of the living God, He rose from that grave and we now have an eternal hope in Him. I have the extreme pleasure of sharing this hope with my daughter-what an exciting gift!

Here are the words we sang today. I hope that it inspires you to gratitude as well for the hope we have that can only be found in the LIVING Christ.

There is Love
That came for us
Humbled to
A sinners cross
You broke my shame and sinfulness
You rose again victorious

Faithfulness
None can deny
Through the storm
And through the fire
There is truth that sets me free
Jesus Christ who lives in me

You are stronger
You are stronger
Sin is broken
You have saved me
It is written
Christ is risen
Jesus You are Lord of all

No beginning
And no end
You’re my hope and my defence
You came to seek and save the lost
You paid it all upon the cross

Let Your Name be lifted higher
Be lifted higher
Be lifted higher