Finding Easter Hope When You’re Flatlined by Life

Special thanks to my friend and fellow blogger Christi Perry of LearningToBeFearless.org for sharing here today. I hope her heartfelt story and challenge encourages you.

Guest post by Christi Perry

I stood in a dark room side by side with my sister and two of my friends. I was unaware of what they were doing as my eyes were closed.

The thing that captivated me was the bass drum. The music was so loud it vibrated my body— more importantly, my heart.

As I was driving home, several weeks ago, the same thing happened as I listened to a song. I was captivated with the bass drum. I finally had the courage to ask God for something again. It may seem like it’s not that big of a deal. People ask God for things every day. Yes, but I had stopped asking God for things.

I want to explain: I understand prayer’s a dialogue back and forth. God is not my genie that I expect Him to grant me all my wishes. However, He also says to come to Him and to ask, seek and knock. But the past few times I really asked, I received the opposite of what I asked for…

I asked God to save my Dad… And seven days later, my Dad passed away.

When Our Physical Hearts Stop Beating

Life can feel like it’s tearing you a part. There can be really great moments and down right awful ones. It’s easy to see God in the great ones and difficult to see him in the awful ones.

There’s an unseen enemy trying to tear us apart. But, there’s also an understanding problem because I am a finite being in relationship with an infinite being. His scope is so much more broad than my failing eyes can see.

In the past two years, I felt like my heart was laid open as it’s been picked, pulled and ripped to shreds by circumstances: failed relationships, the loss of jobs, the loss of purpose, the loss of a place I called my own, the loss of my Dad.

In life, sometimes our physical hearts can stop beating, which is why AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) were invented. Most of us have seen paramedics use an AED to shock someone back to life.  As I thought about this, I thought of my heart in an emotional and spiritual sense. If our physical heart can stop beating, who is to say that our emotional and spiritual heart can’t stop beating as well?

What Can Revive Our Silent Hearts

But what’s our spiritual AED? The cross. It’s the battle cry that death has been defeated, that something shocking and gruesome would bring life. AEDs, if not used in the right circumstance, could cause death. Had Jesus not been the perfect sacrifice, his death would have resulted is nothing but death. But the perfection of Jesus and the wrath of God being satisfied for all mankind resulted in resurrection.

Before I continue, I want you to listen to a song. And when you get to minute 3:53, listen to the bass drum.

I don’t know what your Easter looks like this year. Maybe it looks like an empty seat next to you due to death or divorce. Maybe it looks like the last pew because your life has been turned upside down and you’ve had to relocate and you’re new. Maybe it looks like a morning home alone because you’ve been burned by the church. Whatever your Easter looks like, listen to this song. And pay close attention to the bass drum.

As, I hear the bass drum, I can almost picture God shocking us back to Him.

Wherever You Are This Easter

So, this Easter, wherever you are in life,  know that God the Father didn’t only send Jesus to save us for eternity. He sent Jesus to revive us.

Revive means making alive, keeping alive, and giving more life.

You who have shown me many troubles and distresses will revive me again, And will bring me up again from the depths of the earth. (Psalm 71:20)

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, And Your right hand will save me. (Psalm 138:7)

God sent Jesus so that we have someone in our corner. He knows our hurts. We are not unseen. Hebrews 7:25 says, “He lives to make intercessions for us.” I cannot fathom that. Exodus 14:14 also promises, “The Lord will fight for you, you only need to be still.”

Rest assured that no matter what your Easter looks like this year, you’re held, fought for, and can be revived by the Author and Perfecter of life who overcame death on our behalf.