Life Abundant by Barry Hughes


As I walked the neighborhood late yesterday, hoping to get my miles in before the storm hit, I was struck by how much activity surrounded me. Each block seemed to have at least one house having a family Easter Egg hunt. People dressed up like it was, well, Easter, sitting on porches and watching their children as happy with their few found eggs as they would have been with fifty. Neighbors set up in lawn chairs across driveways from each other enjoying the afternoon and clearly relishing new conversations with new stories. Strollers and bikes and scooters and runners crossing back and forth from one side of the street to the other, thoughtful of others and quick to smile.
One house that I pass each day is home to a little baby and a little toddler. Mom knows me by sight, and we wave and say hello each day. The entire family was sitting in the center of the lawn, surrounded by the discarded remains of looted plastic eggs, candy wrappers, toys and a small child in constant motion. I waved and the parents laughingly said, “It looks like a bomb went off in our yard.” I replied, “No, that’s what Easter is supposed to look like!”
Life. Laughter. Love. Futures full of promise, no matter how many birthdays one has celebrated. Excitement and expectation. Joy. Peace with each other and with God. Even in these times it happens. Even in these times it shines through. Jesus said, “ I have come that they might have life, and life abundant.” He did. And we do. Happy Easter!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

God is at Work

Image
In the early morning I was struck with this image. It seems to have it all. Green leaves. Red leaves. Clouds. Blue sky. The cross high and lifted up to the sky. It seemed to me that there was the stuff of several good photos in this one place and at one time. So I took the picture. Life is like that more often than not, isn't it? Good and bad. Happy and sad. Calm and chaos. Peace and turmoil. The season of Advent and the celebration of Christmas acknowledges this reality. The people of old resigned to their fate, yet hoping in the future. John the Baptist bringing the good news that the time had come, yet thundering away at one and all. Mary afraid, yet faithful. A baby is born that changes everything, yet the world remains still weary and violent. But, in the midst of all this, in the midst of the whiplash of everyday life, God is at work. God is present. God is calling. In all of it. In every bit of it. Through it all, God is with us. During these holidays, when joy can be mixed
Read more

Quiet Surprises

Image
This little friend decided to pause and stare at me as long as I was willing to pause and stare at him. It was a beautiful moment of silence and calm and peace. I'm not sure how long we enjoyed each other's presence, but it seemed like quite a good while. I sensed no fear at all in this deer. Of course, I was on his turf and was armed with only my phone. I was driving when I spotted him, so I pulled over and parked. I thought he would rush back into the woods before I could take a photograph. What a pleasant surprise it was. Sometimes surprises burst into our life loud and big, like a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" at a surprise party or in a humming crowd at some huge event. But at other times, surprises slip into our consciousness, subtle and understated. A deer at the edge of the woods. A card with words of love when you need it most. The smile of a friend long missed. A feeling of peace when life is anything but peaceful. In fact, it may be that those quiet
Read more

Live Out Loud

Image
This is one big Woodpecker! I was visiting some friends who live in the mountains and saw this bird right outside the window as I sat in my chair and read. It is a Pileated Woodpecker, a bird that grows to be up to 19 inches long with a wing span of 30 inches, weighing 14 pounds. I still feel the same excitement when I see one today as I did as a boy. They are spectacular creatures. I'm sure that one reason I like them so much is that they remind me of Woody Woodpecker, a favorite cartoon of my boyhood. But another reason they catch my eye is they seem so strong and self-assured. They carry themselves with a sense of confidence. When they go to work on a tree, they are loud and proud. When they swoop in and out through the woods, they own the airspace. These beautiful birds live out loud. I have a feeling that when we live out loud, we might exude that same kind of confidence. When we know who we are, and more importantly, who we want to be, it shows. Not in bravado or arrogance, b
Read more