Among the inanimate

People, yes.  Land, yes.  Inanimate things?  Man-made things?  Is there anything God cannot affect?  Anything beyond His reach?  Following my post on how Jesus’ death and resurrection affected the land, here’s some food for thought.  In Exodus 7, upon the Lord’s instruction, Aaron threw down his staff in front of Pharaoh, and it became a snake.  In Ezekiel 37, the Lord caused a vast army of dry bones to start rattling around.  He attached tendons to the bones, covered them with skin, and breathed life into them.  He brought the bones to stand on their feet, and it’s a scene that wonderfully boggles my brain.  Today I can attest first-handedly to the Lord affecting my TV.  Sometimes I let that 26” box of noise talk too much.  One time, looking out for my best interest, the Lord turned off my TV.  The fact that Little House on the Prairie was a wholesome show doesn’t change the fact that I’d allowed that box too much air time.  One could attribute an electrical reason for the screen suddenly blacking out, but I knew it was the Lord.  I’d sensed ahead that I shouldn’t have turned on the TV.  Also I think of a friend who prayed for her clothes dryer to restart, and it did.  I remember as well the many occasions I’ve prayed for the Lord to reveal lost car keys.  In a panic, combing entire areas multiple times, whether campuses or classrooms or vehicles, finally in complete exasperation lifting the floor mat on the driver’s side one last time, there finding the keys in plain sight.  Indeed the Lord does work among the inanimate.  There’s nothing He cannot move.  There’s nothing into which He cannot breathe life.

Quaked, then resurrected

One earthquake.  Days later, another earthquake.  I imagine every inch of land being affected.  The quake that came with His death brought rocks to split and tombs to break open as well.  And how would that look?  I can hardly fathom the rocks.  Going for a stroll and suddenly seeing rocks of all sizes splitting in half?  And between the 2 quakes mentioned in Matthew 27 and 28, the one at Jesus’ resurrection is noted as violent, which shows me this idea of bringing life from death really does turn our way of thinking upside down.  The idea of Jesus dying in order to give us new life really is revolutionary.  Even the land didn’t know how to witness the magnitude of what was happening.  The sun stopped shining for hours, and our earth was essentially gasping for air.  It would inhale a new Presence, a new beginning.  And I thank the Lord that I may be intrigued countless times at His power to affect our world.

More than Santa and cascarones

What a privilege.  I met some children who said the word Easter reminded them of eggs and bunnies, especially those eggs we call cascarones that are refilled with surprise confetti.  The occasion was an opportunity to talk about Jesus’ death and resurrection.  More than once, I’ve met children who thought Santa Claus was born at Christmas.  On those occasions, it was an opportunity to tell about Jesus’ birth.  Each was an unexpected conversation that brought the utmost delight. . .  To speak the name of Jesus our Christ is a humble honor.  When my heart flutters to realize an open door for conversation, I silently ask the Lord to lead. . . May you be blessed to seek His pleasures first.