A year ago my neighbor and I spent Good Friday morning at nearby Benet Hill Monastery. We walked quietly along the path surrounding the cross. Easter thoughts, just two days away, filled my mind. On that long ago Friday, Jesus was brought to Golgotha. He was crucified, died, and was buried. Then he was resurrected. The resurrection, I can’t wrap my head around it.
The cross is empty.
The stone is rolled away.
The tomb is empty.
The resurrection happened.
We’re invited to live from the abundant victory the resurrection secured.
“Abundance”. Copyright Andrew Weatherly.
Andrew is my first cousin, once removed. I love his art! “Abundance” started from the picture he snapped of a Butterfly Bush in their back yard. He blew up the snapshot and painted the photograph. Watching the response of the butterflies to the abundant blossoms on their bush caused him to remember the abundance he had experienced in the reality of two years of Covid. He named the painting “Abundance”.
When I first saw his painting*** I called it Butterflies and Blossoms. For me it is a picture of Easter. The beautiful butterflies had come out of their cocoons; transformed from caterpillars to the exquisite beauty of adult butterflies, their metamorphosis complete. Easter, the resurrection offers metamorphosis or transformation to me too.
The blossoms of the lovely perennial Butterfly Bush had also come alive, their roots sending out new growth for the new season. Roots, new growth, keys to transformation.
Abundance has been one of my words this year. God has been abundantly gracious as I’ve been praying over the reality of the resurrection. My thoughts have been churning.
“So we have come to know and to believe
the love that God has for us.”
I John 4:16
“We show what we believe, not by what our mouths say, but by what our hearts seek.” These words from a recent book encouraged. I wanted to know and believe God’s love for me demonstrated in the resurrection. I began to pray daily…
God, please grow my knowing.
Help me to press on in trust, press on in faith,
press on in knowing you.
May the power of your resurrection be my testimony,
my knowing.
God, please grow my knowing. Amen.
God began to abundantly answer.
Besides bringing my attention to certain scriptures, I heard God’s whisper, Sue, if you could wrap your head around the resurrection, your God is too small!
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly,
than all we ask or think,
according to the power at word within us,”
Ephesians 3:20 (italics mine)
I’ve begun signing my correspondence, FMA (Far More Abundantly). I need the reminder of our resurrected Lord who is working in far more abundant ways to continually transform me.
ABUNDANT EASTER BLESSINGS TO YOU!
*** All Rights Reserved
No material can be reproduced without the prior written consent of the artist.
All rights are reserved 2022.
I love the idea of constantly pondering the phrase far more abundantly! Thank you. I have not ever directly connected this phrase with the resurrection. It fits perfectly! The resurrection blows my mind. To live in that knowing is powerful. I want that too.
Leigh Ann, I love your heart. Let’s keep growing in that knowing together.
He is Risen; He is Risen Indeed!!!
Yes, let’s keep growing in that knowing together. ❤️ Meditating and praying on Philippians 3:10-11 this morning. It begins “I want to know Christ and experience the power that raised him from the dead. “
Philippians 3:10 – one of the verses I consistently pray over.
And Philippians 3:8 – “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord …” Surpassing Worth!!!