Thursday, April 13, 2017

Waiting for Dawn


(Luke 23:55) And the women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and beheld the tomb, and how his body was laid.  (23:56) And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments. And on the sabbath they rested according to the commandment.  But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came unto the tomb, bringing the spices which they had prepared.  (24:2) And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb.  (24:3) And they entered in, and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.  


When I try to imagine being one of those women on that horrific longest day - the ‘Sabbath’ after Christ was crucified - the agony of waiting in the paralyzing silence of defeat, I temporarily set aside knowing the rest of the story - the great good ending. I try to fully experience their grief and dismay, the crushing weight of unanswerable questions - the frustrating unknowable. 

I do this because I need to embrace, firsthand, the fear that they must have felt, the confusion, the despair. I still myself, eyes closed, and put myself there, sitting with them. No one able to speak, hopelessness settled in around them slowly sucking the oxygen out of the space. My heart feels like it’s being compressed by a vise. 

I can’t stay there too long or I’d become dysfunctional. I only need a glimpse of what they must have felt so I can confirm the old saying - it’s always darkest just before dawn - as a solid truth not just a good sounding platitude. 

Because I do know the rest of the story, I can also imagine the shockwave that must have shot through, head to toe, those faithful women who returned to the tomb to finish the job, to pay their respect and demonstrate their love for this man whom they had believed was the Son of God and were not prepared for, nor understood what had to happen.  

Have you ever been there? So immersed in fear and dread of the unknown, convinced you are done for, at the mercy of great evil, then in a flash you are rescued? One minute it’s nothing but darkness, the next minute all is light - exquisite relief.

I have. I’ve been there many times in my now officially long life. While it most certainly is darkest just before dawn, there is another truth - dawn does come - and always right on time. 

When it seems that evil has finally won the upper hand, I go back in time and sit for a few minutes with the women who found the tomb empty. Then I fast forward to the happy ending of Christ risen. The war is won. Until He returns we must continue with the small battles, the minor skirmishes with evil, that test our mettle, that keeps trying to distract us away from faith, when we must sit in the darkest dark and wait for dawn, not just believing, but confident it will come. 

Right on time.

For Him,
Meema






4 comments:

  1. We're sitting in the same space today, Meema, and I'd love it if we were able to have this conversation face to face.

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    1. This morning I was cruising The Facebook (cue laughter) and found your post from last Easter only I didn’t notice that it was and assumed it was new. You know we don’t have to sit face to face, though I’d love that, because our spirits are joined to His which makes us sisters. I was going to post a comment in your post and that’s when I noticed it was from last year. Then I couldn’t find my words. Sometimes words are not enough.

      Have a blessed Easter and spring break with your loves.

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  2. Something I have been pondering is communion. A morsel of bread and a sip of juice. Simple enough that anyone can partake of it any time. Even if we had to dumpster-dive for the bread and drink a sip of water. Yet, it is so we remember. Remember what? The magnitude of what Jesus did for us. Jesus took the heavy burden so that we can rest. Jesus suffered and died so that we might live. wow.

    While praying I was directed to read Luke 17:17. Yes, Lord, I will remember to be grateful. I will remember to come and say "Thank You." I will praise and honor You as the One True God.

    May you walk with our Risen Lord always!

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    1. I’m really feeling the depths of gratitude today. Regardless how crazy the world is I know God has this and it swells my heart up to fully realize what that means and to know there are others who really understand as well.

      Be blessed as we proclaim the Risen Christ.

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