Easter is coming up. A wonderful time of the year, akin to Christmas. Jesus was born on Christmas. He was crucified died and buried in a borrowed tomb. He arose from the tomb on Easter.
It should be a beautiful day to my way of thinking but in my part of the world it very seldom is. This is the time of transition from winter to spring. Things are renewing, coming out of dormancy and bursting forward in new growth. One day cold and dreary, next day sunshiny and springlike. Reminds me of a young boy in between childhood and young manhood. One day he has that soft sweet voice of youth. But as he talks his voice will squeak and struggle. One sentence can change from babyish to squeaky, to gruff. He wants that manly voice but he has to struggle while he is transitioning in between. Young ladies have the same transition period as their bodies change and grow.
When I was a child we sometimes had Sunrise services on a hill above our Church on Easter Sunday. It invariably would be cold and cloudy. Maybe even spitting snow or raining.
This one Easter Morning we were up before sunrise getting ready to go. Of course I was grumbling loudly. It was cold and I wanted to stay in bed. Mama had Norman dressed in his cute little suit with a bow tie. I was dawdling and not being cooperative as usual. I think I was about 5or 6 I'm not sure. I had a new yellow Easter dress and white bonnet of some kind with yellow daisies on it. Mama finally got me all beautiful (she said it I didn't) and sent me out to my Daddy while she got dressed. Even at that age I noticed that Daddy and Mama didn't have new Easter clothes. Didn't think much about that then but it is significant now in my memories.
We arrived on the hill above the Church. The men had erected a huge cross and sat it in the ground with concrete. It was on the East side and we stood on the other side to the West. Now all the years I had been there I had not seen the sun rise over the cross. I was cold and wanted to go home. We assembled and had opening Prayer. Mama was holding Norman and I was pushed in close to my Daddy. I had a sweater on but still felt cold. Daddy put both arms around me and his warm hands on my arms were like a heater. I was close to my Daddy and I felt the comfort of his heat. I can almost feel Daddies warm loving hands on my arms now.
The opening Prayer was said and the sermon was ready to begin. Just as the Pastor said Amen and everyone opened their eyes you could hear the audible sighs and Awwws as the Sun came up over that cross. The cross was silhouetted in the early misty dawn of a new day. Indescribable, Awesome, magnificent. No words match that beautiful sight. Neither can any words describe how standing there close to my Daddy, sheltered and warm looking up at Mama's face as she held my baby Brother who looked so handsome in his new suit and bow-tie. That was 65 years ago but still fresh in my mind.
To this day I never see a sunrise that I don't go back to that peaceful sunrise on that little hill above the Church. I get up before dawn every morning now and watch the sunrise. Some mornings there are just clouds and rain but I know the sun is there and it will peek out again soon. And when it does I will do all I can to be there to see it. There is no other hopeful, comfortable feeling that I can imagine that would top it.
Matthew 28: 5-7 …5The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6"He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7"Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."…
Tags: Cross Sunrise
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