easter.

last week was an emotional week for me for several reasons. 

one, my baby boy turned FOUR on friday. more to come on his simple & sweet birthday bbq later. love my sweet boy.

second, i felt very much in tune with preparation for Easter this year. probably because i feel like i've experienced the love of Jesus more than i ever have in the last several months. i am humbled by how much He loves me. i am brought to my knees every time i think of what He did for me on the cross oh so many years ago. 

thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, with the preparation for Easter, i was reminded often of those people that i love dearly that do not know Jesus as savior... my sweet son & daughter included. 

b. made resurrection eggs at school last week and very much understands the story of Jesus dying on the cross for us. he knows that we tell him all the time how very much Jesus loves him. he knows that the tomb was empty on that Easter day so many years ago (although he says last week) and he knows that Jesus now lives in Heaven with God & Pops (J's grandfather). 

he knows that's what we tell him, at least.

but, he hasn't put it all together yet. i am very intentional about cultivating our conversations regarding heaven. i stay on the subject as long as he does.... but the moment he moves on to something else, i go with it. i do not want to force his faith. i want his faith to be his own, even from an early age. i think this makes it real... authentic. i never ever ever want to hear him say, "i believe in Jesus because my parents tell me He is real...." on the other hand, i would love to hear him say that he believes because he saw it lived out in our lives.... that he saw that it is real.

either way - heaven & salvation were heavy on my heart this week. praying for those precious people in my life who don't know or understand the love of our Lord Jesus. i was humbled by how much i do not deserve to go to heaven. i was overwhelmed by His grace & mercy. i wanted to beg people to get to know Him. to give Him a chance. to come as they are - to know that they will never have it all together, that's not what Jesus promises. He does promise grace. He promises love... and forgiveness. He promises eternal life. in Heaven. with Him. 

the same broken heart i experienced this week for people who will never reach out and receive this free & precious gift is the same broken heart i had when i was seven years old memorizing the 23rd psalm for a 'prize' in sunday school. it is what finally brought me to my knees before the Father and made me beg Jesus to come into my heart because i knew that He was my savior... my only hope.

i pray that for you. i pray that you know Jesus, and that you experience Him. let Him rule your heart. i promise you will never regret it. i also promise that it won't be easy - it will be a process... ALWAYS a process, but you and your life will be more joyful for it. more restful. more hopeful. maybe it shouldn't be me who promises that... but in the Bible, Jesus does promise that. and He's the real deal.

"For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be FILLED UP to all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:14-19)