It is that time of year when the earth begins to change again. Time has been moved forward an hour. Weather patterns shift so that activities switch from inside to outside. Even our moods are different. It is the beauty of seasons that we enjoy. Families also go through seasonal changes. At each phase of the family life cycle important events will usually mark the phase. A wedding. . . a birth. . . a graduation. . . another wedding. . . a funeral. Each incident brings change. Each change issues new challenges for the family.
There is an epic historical event that happened in a season of the universe. Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds us that “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” On God’s calendar, there was an appointed time to send His Son (Galatians 4:4) who would show us the Father in a way we would have never seen. He then took upon himself all the sins of the world and bore their weight on a cross so that we can be redeemed.
This is not just the story of God. It is the story of us. It is the story of our families. It is THE event that changes everything for us. When we are in a season of pain in our family, it is the event that gives pain purpose and a time limit. When relationships are hurtful or disappointing, this event gives our hearts a blueprint to proceed toward grace. During times of losses – whether it is spouse, child, marriage, job or health – we can be assured that there is joy and hope beyond this life and the struggles it brings. We just need to remember there was a Friday before there was a Resurrection Sunday. Because of this life-changing event, our family stories cannot look like those who do not believe.
There is a Psalm that caught my attention lately that says, “Show us your steadfast love, O Lord, and grant us your salvation. Let me hear what God the Lord will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his saints; Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him . . . Steadfast love and faithfulness meet; righteousness and peace kiss each other” (Psalm 85:7-9). It’s like the horizonal bar of the cross was God’s covenant love and the vertical bar was His faithfulness seen in the obedience of Jesus. The result: we have righteousness and peace that cannot be separated. What does that look like in our family relationships? Does shalom (completeness, wholeness, health, soundness, tranquility, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord) and righteousness (God’s heart in every attribute, every attitude, every behavior, and every word) live in your family? Is the story of Easter the story of us?