The Morning’s Blaze of Glory
I don’t think we were ever so grateful for Easter to arrive as we were this year. At least that’s how I felt about the new hope that comes with the resurrection of our Lord. And, what a declaration was made when a downpour of rain came and knock-me-outta’-my-bed-thunder and lightning early morning. I thought: “God, is that You echoing the sounds of the morning of Your beloved Son’s resurrection when the earthquake rolled away the stone from His tomb? And, then You accentuate the ‘great escape’ when I see the sun breaking through the clouds in splendor as I drive to my children’s home for Easter breakfast?” The dismal, dark skies broke through like a blaze of glory — maybe like Jesus broke through on that Resurrection morning!
Immediately, I started thinking about another Gospel song by the Gaither’s with Guy Penrod singing these words:
“Then came the morning, night turned into day
The stone was rolled away. Hope rose with the dawn
Then came the morning. Shadows vanished before the sun.
Death had lost and life had won, for morning had come.”
I googled the song to listen to those inspiring words again. These lines touched me as much as the Christmas song, “Mary, did you know?” These words speak to her heart once again:
“The angel, the star, the kings from afar,
the wedding, the water, the wine.
Now it was done, they’d taken her Son, wasted before His time.
She knew it was true, she’d watched Him die too
She’d heard them call Him just a man.
But deep in her heart, she knew from the start
Somehow her Son would live again. Then came the morning…”
That was yesterday. This is the day after THAT never-to-be-surpassed morning. The plastic eggs are put away, the Easter meal left-overs are in the fridge. But, our new normal may be to leave up the palms, the crosses, and red ribbons. We’re not ready to put away the exhilaration that comes from our Savior coming back to life. Imagine what Easter Sunday was like. I mean, wow. It must have been a blaze of glory.
But, that blaze of glory wasn’t temporary. It ignited a movement — a spiritual, proactive, action-driven movement of discipleship. It was a movement of “let’s change the world”. And that mandate and movement is now passed on to you and me. We don’t need a microphone or a platform to share the good news. We just share it in our homes, our neighborhood, and the marketplace. Yes, we’re the ones with the palms and crosses on our doors or in our yards. We’re the ones that blog, post a comment about our Lord’s love. We listen for His voice. We stand to our feet. We follow where He leads. And, we tell any and every one that will listen: “This is the God who loves us so much HE gave us His best.” This is the God who sends us.” Everything changed THAT morning! A blaze of glory was ignited. Are we catching the flame to go and BE the followers who proclaim our resurrected Lord and Savior?
For Holy Easter chills, listen to Guy Penrod and the Gaithers sing this exhilarating song of morning glory:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGjfF31zB24