The Easter season is a time of new beginnings filled with hope and joy. Taking the time to focus ourselves on the meaning of life is an aspect of being human that is not found in the rest of the animal kingdom. Recently, I have been considering what it means to "lay down my life" for Christ. How do I take up the cross and follow him? I do not live in a time or place where my physical life is threatened because I am a believer~ though I know a few who do live under those circumstances and admire them greatly for their faith and courage.

Still, those of us who live in a culture where it is "safe" to worship and profess our belief in Christ are asked to lay down our lives; we are to die to self. When we are totally submitted to the will of God, our personal agenda disappears. That sounds so simple, yet it is totally complex. As a human being, my "wiring" tells me to exert my will on my surroundings, to be in control, to do it my way~ always. Like a decorative bonsai tree, our nature would have us grow in a particular direction. The bonsai artist wires the branches and forces the tree to grow the way the master desires. Unlike the bonsai master, God does not force us to grow his way. He beckons us; he woos us; he loves us into the shape he desires. Nature has always been a reflection of the majesty of God for me. From the tiny fingernails of a newborn child to the magnificent night sky, God is showing me his power, his perfection. On this Easter weekend, in exchange for his incredible gift in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus the Christ, I offer him my life that he may use me in any way he chooses to reach into the lives of those he longs to touch with his love and healing. Alleluia~