Easter is just around the corner. This year all Christians are celebrating Easter on the same day, April 20. This only happens every 4 or 5 years. It has to do with the Julian vs the Gregorian Calendar. The Eastern Orthodox religions follow the Julian Calendar and everyone else follows the Gregorian. It gets complicated. Regardless, Christians all over the world are celebrating the death of Jesus on the cross and his resurrection. This is a very happy ending to all the horrible things He had to endure, and a joyous time for his followers. We owe Him our love, respect, loyalty, obedience and gratitude.
Unfortunetly, there is still a lot of misery in the world, that we cannot explain. Tornadoes, fires, earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters, leaving many people dead or homeless. Russia and Ukraine are still at war and so is Israel and Hamas, and those are not the only wars. There are others going on in other parts of the world that we don't hear about, or they don't make the big news. Many Christians are persecuted and tortured in some parts of the world, by Muslims and Hindus to name a few. We wish we could all live in peace, but that's not how it is. There is a lot of hatred going around, and yet there are also a lot of blessings surrounding our lives. Sometimes those blessings are ignored or failed to be recognized. Those could be things that we take for granted. Are we ignoring family members, just because they are always there? Do we recognize how much they mean to us or how much they help and support us? Do we thank them for it? May other things may seem insignificant as well.
So, today and everyday, take notice of someone or something special in your life. Don't let the distractions around you take away your joy. Be grateful to God for the gift of His Son.
"For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" John: 3:16 (NIV)
Let's not the abundance of God's gifts cause us to forget the Giver.
Happy Easter!
