Posted on by Jordyn Redwood

What Does Easter Mean to You?

Here it is– midnight MST. I’ve survived twelve+ hours in the ER on a Friday night, full moon (it must be!), holiday weekend. For those of you familiar with emergency departments you know I listed those out because it meant we got our tushes kicked a little bit. Not enough staff. Too many sick kids.

I am tired. I get home…

And. There. Is. No. Post.

Which means there is no happy new post for you… our trusted friends, our fabulous readers. I’m thinking– no one is going to notice. It’s Easter! Anne’s post was amazing and can hang out all weekend. This will be unedited and full of typos (can I wake Sarah up to have her proofread?)

But then, something stops me from shirking my responsibility. I start thinking I really should step in and write something– substitute for the person who was supposed to post. And I really don’t want to right at this moment in time. My warm bed is sweetly calling my name.

However, the thought of substitution comes to the forefront. Now, I’m not one to clearly hear God’s calling. I would possibly dare say I’m tone-deaf. I’ve prayed for God’s Will to be left as a gold note card on my pillow for me in the morning. For me, God’s voice is more like a subtle whisper in a hurricane that I have a hard time tuning in. What I have learned though is sometimes these instances (like no blog post) are orchestrated by God to create opportunities for other things, and I’m wondering if this forgotten post was left open for me to write to bring the thought of subbing for someone else to mind.

This is what Easter means to me. Christ as substitution. His death as a covering for my sin so that if I believe in what He did as He hung on a cross, nails through his hands and feet, a crown of thorns on his head– one of the most painful deaths a human can suffer– I can have the glory of heaven.

Grace. Mercy. Innocence hung for me…

So, maybe my foray into writing my novel, which led me to an appointment with Greg Johnson, which led him to take me on as a client, which (for some strange reason!) led him to ask me to help run this blog was meant to culminate in this one moment in time where the Easter weekend post was empty (like the tomb was in a few short days) so I could write about the thought of substitution and what it meant for me…

And what it means for you…

May you have a blessed Easter.

 

20 Replies to “What Does Easter Mean to You?”

  1. No coincidences. Only divine appointments! What a debt we owe that we can never repay! I don’t want to live my life trying to “pay him back” for what he did, but I do want to live every moment with a keen awareness of his sacrifice and my purpose. Thank you for stepping in and for reminding us of Someone else who did as well!

    Hope you got some sleep last night. I used to work at our state hospital. I know all about full moons! 🙂

  2. Jordyn, I have no doubt God set you up to write this post. Praise Jesus He substituted Himself for our sin-stained condition.

    Thank you for not tuning God out, and reminding us why we write.
    1) Because He called us.
    2) Because He equipped us.
    3) Because a dying world needs to know He offers redemption.

    Sometimes, we begin to think this journey is about us, when it’s always about a Savior who wants the world to see the empty tomb flooded with His marvelous light. What a privilege to illuminate His grace with other writers like yourself.

    Sleep Tight!

  3. So true–the whispering voice in the hurricane, the hammering at the ER, the forgetting. Substitution. We’re entirely lost without it. God sent in the star player to cover for us. A grace and mercy for the tone-deaf, which we all are. Well put. A sovereign God coordinated and gave you a strong message. Hope your sleep was peaceful.

  4. Easter is Life! My life eternal, Christ’s life resurrected, and hope forever of life without end. Thanks for making your readers stop to think about it.

  6. Beautiful! And thank you for reminding us to listen to His voice in the storm. He is there, holding out His hand!

  7. Substitution!
    Redemption!
    Relationship!
    Life!

    Hallelujah! He is Risen! Our Redeemer Lives!

  9. Wow! Great one. And you call yourself tone-deaf? I understand that though. I often ask for guidance and ask, “please, don’t tie it to a brick this time.” Cause, unfortunately, that used to be the only way I got the message. Trying to quiet the hurricane so He doesn’t need to do that now.
    God is good! He’s done so much and I can never be grateful enough. Thanks for this post.

    1. Connie: I too have had several bricks to the head so I know how that feels! May we both be better able to discern HIS voice through the noise to avoid major head injuries.

  10. Nice post, Jordyn. We can all celebrate the substitution. I hope you have a restful Easter with family.

  12. Thank you for the kind mention, Jordyn. I am grateful to serve a risen Lord together with you and our many brothers and sisters in Christ. ♥

  13. Thanks everyone for your comments. It was a blessing for me to be able to share these words but they are the Lord’s so listen if there is something He is saying to you. Was there a little nudge, just maybe?

  14. I am thankful for your substitution and for reminding me of His through it! Have a glorious day.

  15. Beautiful, Jordyn. And what a reminder to us. I’ve felt God’s strongly on a few occasions, but more often that not, it’s that gentle whisper that I have to pay attention to if I want to hear Him. I’m so glad you listened to Him and wrote this post. Amen!

  16. i expect the gold notecards, i expect the whispers among the noise, i even expect the bricks to come flying at my head. but i don’t always want them. which kind of contradicts itself. because i expect God to lay out my life, but i don’t always want to walk where He wants me to walk. i don’t always want to do what He wants me to do. i don’t always want to listen to what He has to say. so i expect them, but i want them to be what i expect them to be. to be honest, i want to substitute my wants for God’s needs. i want my cake and i want to eat it too. but in those rare moments when i turn it around, when i focus on Him instead of me, it leads to moments like you have today jordyn. moments when you feel the twinge that you are exactly where you need to be. moments when you feel like God lined up this exact situation for a heart to hear exactly what it needs to hear. moments when you know you really listened…to Him instead of you. i love when i have those moments…

    Happy Easter…He is risen!!!

    1. i really wish i could live the rest of my life as a christian, but commen sence and just plain simple intellangence has caused me to think dirrerent,i wish i could simplify things and just be a christain but my mind is too intellagent

      1. Greetings Anonymous. In your comments, I heard a memory of some of my own words. I left my faith and became an atheist for many long years because I needed answers, just simple answers to basic questions. When I didn’t get them, I started believing there weren’t answers in the Christian faith. It took a long time for me to discover the empty hands of atheist answers as well. All I can say to you is. . .keep you intelligence engaged. There actually are really good answers to those intelligent questions. God can handle all the scrutiny you want to bring. And keep your mind and heart open. You may find that your common sense leads you back to God, not farther away.

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