Easter Chorus

This is the chorus from a song written many years ago by Chris Merkling, the church song leader at Calvary Chapel Spokane. Well, these are the words as near as I can remember because I've lost the tape cassette and haven't heard it for years. But for some reason today, this morning the words came to me.

Come to the garden to see where he was laid
Come share the life that has conquered the grave
Come see the Master he's risen today
For the stone has been rolled away.

It sums up why we Christians celebrate Easter.

Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer

Jesus, Draw Me Ever Nearer
(words by Margaret Becker, copyright 2001)

Jesus, draw me ever nearer
As I labor through the storm;
You have called me to this passage,
And I'll follow, though I'm worn.

May this journey bring a blessing,
May I rise on wings of faith;
And at the end of my heart's testing,
With Your likeness let me wake.

Jesus guide me through the tempest
Keep my spirit staid and sure;
When the midnight meets the morning,
Let me love You even more.

Let the treasures of the trial
Form within me as I go --
And at the end of this long passage,
Let me leave them at Your throne.

Shared Lives

My wife and I recently returned from a vacation trip. We spent a week in New York City and then a week plus two days in Paris. As typical vacations go we did our best to see as much as we could with the time and energy we had.

New York is a franetic city. We stayed on Manhattan Island. People are always walking quickly. Streets and avenues are packed with cars, more of which are taxis. Our hotel was on Lexington and 48th street and we would walk out of the hotel into concrete corridors created by buildings reaching sky high. The noise was endless with cars honking and subway trains rumbling.

Not all large cities are alike. Paris has its own busy feeling with cars and lots of people and the rumbling of the Metro subway, but it felt calmer than NYC. And we had seen some of the most spectacular architecture. Probably my favorite was Notre Dame. And I shouldn't forget the Eiffel Tower with its impressive footprint on the land and its skyrocketing height was awesome to see too.

And then we had some time to spend with people people in Paris. Throughout the time we had the casual interaction with hotel clerks and waiters. But what's more is we had the opportunity at the end of our trip to get to know some people my wife had made contact with via the internet, associations with the quilt shop she works at. One couple was Genevieve and her husband Rajen who live in Savigny just outside of Paris. They had picked us up from our hotel, brought us to their home and we spent the afternoon and evening with them. They served us a full four-course authentic Parisian dinner. Another couple was Valerie and her husband Philippe. Philippe picked us up from our hotel and transported us to their lives. Valerie owns a quilters store in Marcoussis also just outside of Paris. She held a small party inviting quilters that are part of a craft exchange and we had conversation, food and champagne. Then in the evening Valerie and Philippe took us out with their two adorable daughters, ages 13 and 10, to dine at a local creperie restaurant.

For people we just met the generosity and hospitality of both families was overwhelming. It reminds me of what Paul had written in 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 8 which says, "We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us." I'm not sure what their religious convictions are but the Lord showed me through them a clear picture of what it means to share your life, an example to me to aspire to be like. They loved us and shared their lives as well.