Go Resurrect Yourself!

April 5, 2015
Day 340

Whether or not you believe in Jesus as a spiritual figure worth following, Easter itself is a pretty cool concept. You just have to look at it all a little differently...

The goodbyes.
Before Jesus died, he told all his closest friends he was going to have to leave them. Time to move on. Time to accept fate and believe in the change he knew had to come. Some people have these kinds of conversations before entering rehab or before going to their first AA meeting. Others go through this just by starting college, or a new career, or having a baby. We all have to say goodbye to some things and even some people before taking the next step in our lives.

The death.
Death is a part of life. You've no doubt heard this trite phrase before, but it really is the Gospel truth. We can't enter secondary school until we've completely shut the door on primary school. We can't start a new job until we've finally walked away from the last one. We can't find our ideal life partner if our hearts and minds are still locked in on someone else. Death is everywhere in our lives, and it's not just a great pathway to new life, but the only pathway to new life.

The tomb.
Whether or not the world takes note of our time in the tomb, WE need to give ourselves the time in the tomb. We need to honor the place and time when a relationship ends, or even when a career or experience does. Death is only meaningful when we honor the death with a period of mourning. So mourn for that lost lover, even if the experience ended badly. Mourn for that lost job, even if you walked away. And sure, even mourn for that vacation that's now in the past. Only in the silence of the tomb can we truly understand all that was, in light of all that will be.

The empty tomb.
Resurrect yourself! Yes, the goodbyes are important, and yes, the deaths and even the tomb experiences are, too, but when all is said and done, you deserve your Easter! You deserve the bright new day when you can kick away that boulder that's been keeping you trapped, and see for yourself the new life that's waiting for you right outside the tomb! 

Easter is about one person and the one life he lived, but you can find your own answers by going through your own Easter weekends, too. Just don't skip any of the steps, because each one will help you in its own important way.