Today is Good Friday. Sunday is Easter. Yes, Christians believe that Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection over 2000 years ago are still meaningful for today. But what does that meaning look like in the 21^st century?

A bitter and frustrated young lady could barely contain her hatred for Christianity. She’s had four children with four different fathers, none of whom now lived with her. Symbols of the occult filled her apartment. Flitting from one job to another hardly afforded enough money for food. Was her life even worth living?

“Amber, you don’t have to live like this!”

My 61-year-old patient had a list of medical problems long enough to fill a textbook: heart disease, diabetes, COPD, kidney failure, obesity, sleep apnea, mental confusion. Her daughter could hardly keep up with her mom’s medication list. The note from her primary physician read, “Patient and family show little interest in working to improve her physical condition.” And based on her lifestyle, her daughter was heading toward the same medical condition a few years down the road.

“Mrs. Jones, Linda, you don’t have to live like this!”

The struggles each of us  have come from any number of places. Our genes provide an almost certain path toward disease and death. Our early life experiences break our spirit and tear at our souls. Our bodies accumulate insult after insult from our environment and from our own choices. The people closest to us that we so desperately need hurt us more, and we push them away. Our responses to the pain of life often breed anger, hopelessness, and even more pain.

And perchance we come to the end of our lives in a moment of clarity. “How could I let myself get like this? Is there anything but darkness to look forward to tomorrow?”

Enter EASTER! There is a way out! You and I don’t have to live like this any longer.

For Amber, Mrs. Jones, her daughter Linda, and you and I, Easter means LIFE. Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection mean there is another way.

• Amber can experience true Love, find a meaningful way to contribute to those around her, know the Person of Jesus more than the religion of Christianity, and have a life full of love, joy, and meaning.
• Mrs. Jones can feel that Someone cares enough about her for her to care about herself, find the inner strength to develop a healthier outer lifestyle, and have peace for the few tomorrows she has left on this Earth.
• Linda can know that her future is not determined by her genetic background, find the courage to change her mind and lifestyle, and spread the message of how Jesus’ impact on one’s heart can make a difference in every other area of her life.
• You and I can experience how the new birth that Jesus works in our innermost being translats into a vibrant healthy lifestyle, loving connected relationships, and true love, hope, and joy for tomorrow.

You, yes you reading this right now, you don’t have to live like that!

On Easter, Jesus’ resurrected life becomes available to you once again.

Won’t you believe that? And take advantage of it?

Happy Easter!

[reminder]What does Easter mean for you this year?[/reminder]

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