What Does Easter Mean to You? by Jordyn Redwood

Now that we are in the Lent Season, it's natural that our eyes would turn toward Easter and what that means to us individually.

I originally wrote this post several years ago, but it remains one of my favorite blog posts that I've ever written. To give context, I used to voluntarily manage a multi-author blog for a literary agency and it was my job to make sure posts were up and running as scheduled. This one night, close to Easter, there was nothing written for the next day.

So . . . off we go.

Here it is-- midnight MST. I've survived twelve+ hours in the ER on a Friday night, full moon (it must be!), holiday weekend. For those of you familiar with emergency departments you know I listed those out because it meant we got our tushes kicked a little bit. Not enough staff. Too many sick kids.

I am tired. I get home...

And. There. Is. No. Post.

Which means there is no happy new post for you... our trusted friends, our fabulous readers. I'm thinking-- no one is going to notice. It's Easter! This post will be unedited and full of typos (can I wake up someone, anyone, and have them proofread?)

But then, something stops me from shirking my responsibility. I start thinking I really should step in and write something-- substitute for the person who was supposed to post. And I really don't want to right at this moment in time. My warm bed is sweetly calling my name.

However, the thought of substitution comes to the forefront. Now, I'm not one to clearly hear God's calling. I would dare say I'm mostly tone-deaf. I've prayed for God's Will to be left as a gold note card on my pillow for me in the morning. For me, God's voice is more like a subtle whisper in a hurricane that I have a hard time tuning in. What I have learned though is sometimes these instances (like no blog post) are orchestrated by God to create opportunities for other things, and I'm wondering if this forgotten post was left open for me to write to bring the thought of subbing for someone else to mind.

This is what Easter means to me. Christ as substitution. His death as a covering for my sin so that if I believe in what He did as He hung on a cross, spikes through his hands and feet, a crown of thorns on his head-- one of the most painful deaths a human can suffer-- I can have the glory of Heaven.

Grace. Mercy. Innocence hung for me...

So, maybe my foray into writing my novel, which led me to an appointment with my future agent, which led him to take me on as a client, which (for some strange reason!) led him to ask me to help run a multi-author blog was meant to culminate in this one moment in time where the Easter weekend post was empty (like the tomb was in a few short days) so I could write about the thought of substitution and what it meant for me...

And what it means for you...

May you have a blessed Easter.