You know what my favorite part of the Easter miracle is? It’s hard to choose a favorite, but I have one.
It’s not the stone rolling away.
It’s not the burial clothes left behind.
It’s not the disciples reaction when they saw our risen Lord.
It’s not the nail marks still present.
It’s not what Jesus said before ascending to heaven.
Although each of those snapshots of reality represent truth so profound the breath slips from my chest, they aren’t what makes my soul leak tears.
No.
It’s the stir.
The stir no one saw.
That first second Jesus twitched beneath the burial clothes and death lost her sting. Hope, glorious, glorious hope rose in that second when the world still felt the weight of death. Hope twitched. Hope moved. Hope stirred. And Jesus arose.
God reminds us of the stir in so many ways.
A branch looks dead and yet a stir is happening in places we can’t see. Places that soon burst forth green life.
A drought threatens to dry out the life of everything planted and yet a stir is happening in places we can’t see. A wind shifts, a cloud bursts, and heaven pours forth.
A woman is told her womb will not and yet a stir is happening in places we can’t see. Her baby will come through a stranger’s womb and in an instant her arms are filled.
The stir no one saw.
The stir we so often miss.
The stir we so desperately need to remember.
The stir was.
The stir is.
The stir will forever be.
Even when we can’t see it.
He is risen, my friend. And because He is risen we can know there is a stir happening behind whatever tomb threatens to close over our hope today.
Yes, there is a stir happening in places we can’t see. He is risen indeed.
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The winners from last week’s book giveaways are:
Weird – Debbie M, Mary Mauk, Peggy Hyland
Weird, Capture His Heart and Capture Her Heart - Helen Mercer, Regina Burris, Ginny.
Weird and Made to Crave - Khris Kirk
Congrats to each of you! Please email Holly@Proverbs31.org to obtain your books.
I saved this email in my inbox, because when I read it I knew I at least wanted to post a comment to say thank you for writing it. I could have sworn I felt my heart enlarge while reading. I reflected on my own Easter celebration and I probably couldn’t quite put into words what I felt on that day as I served my church by greeting our many guests on Easter morning. Now I know what I was feeling. It was that power that continues to bless us all from that “stir”. This was an absolutely beautiful post! Thank you!
i just posted this to my fb page. i love it. i love the imagery of that “stir” in the tomb… thank you. btw, i came to your blog through an email that a friend forwarded to me (she gets the proverbs 31 devotions). she knew i needed to check into your “made to crave” book/study. and that is just what i intend to do.
I want to thank you for “The stir”. I felt overwhelming love, gratitude, humility when I read your words. I am a visual person and through your words I “saw” Jesus stir in the tomb. My tears flowed freely. I have shared “the stir” with several people and received the same results from them, I still can not read it without crying, it moves me where nothing else ever has.Thank you so very much Lysa for your passion and love for our risen Savior!