Because He Lives, We Can Face Tomorrow

One of my all-time favorite songs (not just at Easter) is Bill and Gloria Gaither’s beloved song, "Because He Lives”. Wow! Did they ever get that one right?!! Here is the chorus: “Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know, He holds the future. My life is worth the living, just because He lives." What a perfect song to sing in light of these uncertain times we’re living in today!

I know those uncertain times – long before this pandemic. Ten years ago, during the Easter time of celebration, we received the call that jolted our lives. My husband's bone biopsy results came in. "He has Stage 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma Cancer -- metastasized." That day, our unplanned Faith Journey would begin. During that Easter season before us, we embraced the cross of our Savior who bore the stripes for our healing like never before. We were committed to trusting in God's faithfulness. And, the prayers we prayed for God's wisdom and guidance, as well as our family's unwavering faith, tenacity and joy, was well intact the next 7-1/2 months until His total healing came when he graduated to heaven.

As I sing that chorus this Easter morning in my little quiet shelter-in-place, I realize that I have never sung those words with more fervor as I sing them today. Without a shadow of a doubt, ten years ago on April 5th, 2010, and TODAY, I have this strong, tenacious faith because I know our Lord has held my tomorrows in His tight grip for a very long time.

I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I do know WHO knows and as long as I maintain my "God perspective" on just about everything this life doles out, I know I will make it through every triumph and even what may look like a tragedy. How do I know that? It was because of what happened on Friday when our Lord died a horrific death. But TODAY, He rose from the dead. Today, we celebrate His miraculous "Comeback Story", and BECAUSE HE LIVES, each of our days can be filled with hope.

Not only was this Christ's greatest comeback EVER, but it can be OUR greatest COMEBACK, too! Christ's resurrection is an opportunity to have a transformed life by accepting His love and forgiveness." Indeed -- this day represents the greatest COMEBACK for Christ AND for you and me!

I know that so many reading this blog today are wondering if life will ever get back to normal again. Maybe, it’s not normal that we need. Maybe – it’s to rise to a higher, new normal – of gratitude for the blessings in the midst of the storm. Maybe it’s to face the future with the certainty that “Because Christ lives” – we can face insurmountable situations. May we all make the decision to hold fast to His love, mercy, and infinite wisdom. May we embrace the cross and the empty tomb that guarantees victory for our todays AND tomorrows. Because He lives, we CAN face tomorrow without fear. Because we know He holds our future, life is worth living – because He lives!

My Perspective Changed and So Did I

We’ve all seen that FedEx logo. And, often we are excited to see it because an important package finally arrived. My perspective of express is getting to a destination quickly. I think of an express train or bus that has little to no stops before reaching its destination and then there's the express elevator that goes straight to the top instead of stopping on other floors.

My perspective changed when the FedEx logo was put up on the screen during a speaker's talk. He said: "Look between the E and the X and see if you can see the white arrow.” And, with a little intentional focus, it was easy to see. Since then, when I see that FedEx logo, whether it's on a truck, an airplane, or a box being delivered to me, I see that arrow!

Maybe you wouldn't have given a second thought to that FedEx logo including a right-arrow. Or maybe you've always seen it. That's because we're ALL different. We all have a different way of viewing things. We often hear sayings such as: “different strokes for different folks", "let's agree to disagree", or "couldn't see the forest for the trees," These expressions verify that we all have different perspectives.

My "God" perspective certainly changed over the years. As a child, I viewed God as a hard taskmaster. I saw Him as the authority figure that would "get me" if I didn't act or perform to please Him. I lived in fear of what He would do to me. My perspective changed when I came to know God's love and grace. I came to know Him as my “Abba Father” -- a Daddy that I can literally "blow it", but with arms open wide, He beckons me to Him, forgives me and gives me mercy. Romans 8:15 says: “The Spirit you received doesn’t make you slaves. Otherwise you would live in fear again. Instead, the Holy Spirit you received made you God’s adopted child. By the Spirit’s power we call God Abba. Abba means Father.”

The key to knowing what's best for my life, is KNOWING GOD!" And that's why my perspective has changed -- because the more time I spend in His Word, in fellowship with His people, in communication with Him, in trusting Him with my whole heart, in wanting with all my heart to please Him.....I've come to know HIM…..REALLY know Him. My perspective changed.....and I could never see Him in any other way again.

Now, with the Apostle Paul, I really do have a perspective of God that causes me to love Him more. And the better I understand His nature and ways, the more I understand how very much He loves me. Paul prayed "May you be able to feel and understand, as all God's children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high His love really is" (Ephesians 3:18). Take that to heart, and you'll never see God the same way again either.

Easter and the Hopes for Tomorrow

I don't know what tomorrow holds, but I do know WHO knows and as long as I maintain my "God perspective" on just about everything this life doles out, I know I will make it through every triumph and even what may look like a tragedy. How do I know that? It was because of what happened YESTERDAY! Christ rose from the dead. We celebrated His miraculous Comeback Story, and BECAUSE HE LIVES, each of our days can be filled with hope and expectancy.

This Easter weekend was filled with many personal triumphs:
1) After a delay from the hailstorm which resulted in a new roof before closing on the home I was buying, we finally closed on Good Friday. It was a GOOD, Good Friday. Oh, yes, my God perspective, gives God the credit. "Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father...." James 1:17

2) 2) To some seeing my girl belting and singing out "Hosanna" in her church's Easter production on Saturday and Sunday, could be just be an ordinary occasion, but I know that girl was miraculously healed from cystic fibrosis as a baby, and now those lungs have great capacity to declare "By His stripes, I was healed". I Peter 2:24. Oh, yes, my God perspective, gives God the credit. This was the first song she wrote, sang and produced. It talks about God's Brand New Life! This new life was for her and you and me today! http://staciwallace.com/brand-new-life/

3) Yesterday, it was an early morning drive for me to Austin to meet up with my boys at church. Big brother, Barrett, did a great job seeing after the boys, then Nana took over. It was a beautiful Easter service with Ryan and Shawntel's dearest friends, Pastor Ryan and Dana Malouff, at their gorgeous church building that was miraculously given to them and their congregation, after having had services for three years in a school. "If you are faithful in little things, you will be faithful in large ones." Luke 16:10. Oh, yes, their/our God perspective gives God the credit.

4) Remembering 5 years ago, that Ryan and Shawntel were at the Boston Marathon -- Ryan ran the marathon and Shawntel was in the grandstands. Ryan just passed the Finish Line, when the bomb went off directly across the street from Shawntel. They were both supernaturally protected. Today, he'll run that marathon again, and once again, I am afforded the peace and protection of my kids that comes with my God perspective. "For He will give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways." Psalm 91:11

I loved Pastor Ryan Malouff's words in his Easter message: "Jesus said He would be back, but the disciples didn't believe Him. They forgot that He had never lied to them, so why would this be a lie?" If Jesus said it, it will be. Hebrews 10:23 says "Let us continue to hold firmly to the hope that we confess without wavering, for the One who made the promise is faithful." It's time to stop listening to the voices that say "You can't" and it's time to tell those voices to be silent. Oh, yes, our God perspective causes us to look at each day as miraculous, because the Risen Lord keeps His promises.