Personal Stories, Stories of Hope

Good Friday and Easter: Loss, Death, and New Beginnings

Julie Anne

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“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”

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Today is Good Friday and Sunday is Easter. These are important days for Christians to remember what Christ did for us. How He paid the ultimate price for us.

Easter represents new beginnings and new life, and it’s very timely that I received two of these pictures this week.

Some of you may remember that last summer, my family’s summer vacation home burned to the ground in the horrific Lake Valley fire in California. Only a few houses remained out of approximately 100 homes in the community. The homes which were destroyed were completely burned to the ground.

This is the picture my uncle sent me of our family’s cabin. Five generations have come to this place to spend time together with their families and it is only ashes now. This picture was taken a couple of months ago.

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My uncle plans on rebuilding and we are so grateful for that.

These following pictures were taken week. You cans see the foundation left on this property, the burnt trees in the background, but you also see new life as grass has started to grow.

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What was only signs of death and winter, we now see flowers blooming. What a picture of hope for the community! Life does go on after death.

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Good Friday and Easter is a good time to stop and reflect. Part of our lives as survivors is grieving loss and experiencing new beginnings. I’d love to hear your stories of what was lost – the charred remains  – and about the new growth you’ve experienced. Perhaps this is new growth that you might not ever have experienced if you had not gone through the pain of loss.

 

 

 

 

13 thoughts on “Good Friday and Easter: Loss, Death, and New Beginnings”

  1. I remember Beth Moore’s Daniel study where she was teaching on Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, where she said that sometimes God saves us from the fire (so we don’t go through the trial after all), sometimes he saves us through the fire (as he did the three men in the fiery furnace) and sometimes he save us by the fire (where we perish in it but live eternally with God). For those who have been saved through the fire, I pray they see the new life around them and in them just as you showed in those pictures of the cabin site, JA.

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  2. What an encouraging post. In Jesus, there is always life even where there is death.

    He made a way for us. “It is finished.” Where would we be without Him?

    Blessings to the family of believers on this day of grateful remembrance.

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  3. The song – “Just As I am” has been in my thoughts these past few days. Jesus took me just the way I am. I am broken in body, but still I cling to him. I have had close to 50 surgeries on my body. I just got a cast taken off my foot this week after having it on for 2 months. My 17th foot surgery is scheduled for April 20th. I have some bones that have dislocated in my foot. My doctor is putting a screw in it. I suffer from a major chemical imbalance (as I have stated). Plus I have been recently been diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. I have gone through a hurricane where we had about 5 feet of water in our home. But yet through this all, I come to Jesus just as I am. He holds me in his hands and never forsakes me. I am stronger because of what I have gone through. This past year, my beloved mother-in-law, passed away. She was 96. We celebrated her homecoming. Before I wrote this, I was playing the old hymns on my keyboard. As I played “The Old Rugged Cross” tears came to my eyes. The songs were ministering to me in a mighty way. I am alive today because of Christ and nothing else.

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  5. I am still grieving my loss. The loss of my son, as he was ripped out of my arms and given to his dad and was driven to live 2 states away. I’m still working through that pain with the help of therapy. What new growth? I know that I didn’t lose my faith, but that it became even stronger as I had to rely on Him minute by minute during the aftermath.

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  6. WFTT2, I’m glad you have something to be thankful for during the midst of your greatest loss. Keep goin’. Praying for you as you continue with your therapy.

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  7. Over the last two years, which include my divorce last year, I’ve lost the illusion of safeness, of stability, of knowing basic needs will be met.

    But the kids and I have gained self-determination; freedom to explore new ideas, interests, and passions; the solemn and sacred responsibility to disocover who we really are as individuals, who God is, what it means to be Free in him.

    We’ve surrounded ourselves with animals: cats, goats, chickens, geese, ducks. I’ve re-indulged my love of sparkly, colorful, life-filled things that yet contain an underlying streak of darkness that makes them reflect reality to me. One kid has become a totally individual style icon and actor. One is finally finding answers for years and years of chronic illness, and discovering that she really, truly is NOT lazy, selfish, etc. One kid is finally starting to imagine leaving childhood behind and embracing adolescence as a good thing, not a scary one. I’ve added peacock colors to my grey hair!

    Lack of security and stability have been the things I’ve most feared in my life, to the point of trauma. And I won’t say that I feel peace. But if these things are the price of true Freedom? Yes, I’ll admit the trade has been worth it.

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  8. After reading your comment last night Persephone, I was too busy crying tears of joy for you, the new freedom that you and your family now have in Jesus, alone for your salvation, was deeply touching.

    Your witnessing words reminded me of what Christ has done for many: Jesus came to set the captives free! As I have read the words of Julie Anne and others encouraging and building others up on this website (where believers are “being the church, the assembly, the congregation, the ekklesia/called out ones as Jesus taught), in their faith and their lives, I will simply repeat what they have said……..

    “You go girl!” You are an amazing and have inspired me in my faith this Resurrection weekend. Blessings to you and your family from our Heavenly Father.

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  9. Harley, I love, love, love your testimony as well. Thank-you for your inspiring words as well. Jesus is with you.

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  11. waitingforthetrumpet2, Harley, Persephone, I am glad you are finding hope amidst all your going through. One of you used the word freedom!

    Keep pressing on toward that freedom!

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