Victory in Jesus!

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.  

Hebrews 13:8

Happy Spring everyone!  I hope you have been able to enjoy some beautiful Spring days and have been able to get outside and enjoy the beauty of the season.  One of our families’ favorite Spring traditions is to walk around the DC Cherry Blossoms.  We live just outside of Washington D.C., and every year hundreds of cherry blossom trees bloom for about 2 weeks around the tidal basin and the Jefferson Memorial.  

Last year when they bloomed, I had just been diagnosed and I felt it was important to take a family picture before treatments affected me.  A friend who happens to be a very talented photographer kindly gave us a quick shoot at the cherry blossoms.  The pictures turned out beautiful, and I have loved having them on my wall to look at.  I have actually shown them to my physical therapists and the radiation tech.  to show them what I looked like with long hair.  

Last year when we took the pictures, I had just completed my port surgery the day before and was still very weak -but I was determined to walk around and to look good for the picture.  The photographer edited out the medical tape and gauze pads that were visible, so the picture looked just perfect.   You could not tell that this was a family who was about to embark on the hardest year of their lives.  

But here we are a year later!  I made a personal goal the day we took the pictures to be well enough to walk the 2 miles around the Tidal Basin by the next Spring.  There were many days when I would lay in bed and cling to that one thought, “it will be okay – by Spring you will have the energy to walk around the Tidal Basin and see the Cherry Blossoms bloom…”  

Likewise, when I was in the last stages of chemo treatment I would fast forward to Spring in my mind and say, “it will all be okay by the time Cherry Blossoms bloom…” 

And when I had radiation treatments, there was a picture of a cherry blossom branch on the ceiling above the machine.  I would focus on that while lying in an uncomfortable position and again say, “it will all be okay when the Cherry Blossoms bloom…”

So now, here we are one year later, and I am done with everything – cancer free – and strong enough to walk the 2 miles around the Tidal Basin and take in the beauty of the Cherry Blossoms.  God is so good and has been so faithful to our family this year.  It was such a wonderful walk, such a great moment, we had to do it twice!

The blooming of the Cherry Blossoms, all the budding trees and flowers are a beautiful reminder of new life and new beginnings.  I love that Easter is in the Spring.  Easter is a beautiful reminder of the new life we have in Christ.   When I look at our family picture, I see us all together and smiling. Even though life was not great at the time, we smiled because we knew it would all be okay.  Chris says he looks at the pictures and sees that he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.   And he is right – though we were all smiling, if you look closely, you may see our eyes were full of pain.  

In our Sunday School Class, we were talking about what do we think Jesus was feeling the last few days of his life – knowing that he was going to die.  I said, “I think he felt the weight of the world on his shoulders.”  I have participated in lessons where we talk about how horrible his death actually was.  How he was whipped, abused, physically pushed to the limit carrying his cross up the hill.  Can you imagine carrying the thing you were going to be killed on up a hill?  And then ultimately, he was nailed up and left to hang until he breathed his last breath.  I believe Jesus was in anguish that last week, knowing how painful his death was going to be.  

But for the first time, I am looking at the story in a different light.  He was ultimately carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders.  He was the son of God, he performed miracles, he could have saved himself.  But if he did, where would we all be today?    Let me tell you, I have been reading through the Old Testament and it does not end well for those that sinned against God before he sent Jesus.  

So, this Spring/Easter/Cherry Blossom season I am not just grateful for my victory lap around the Tidal Basin.  I am so thankful for the victory I have in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  I am so thankful that he healed my cancer, I am even more thankful that he took on the sins of world and died on the cross so that I can live and be forever forgiven of my sins.   

I love the hymn “Victory in Jesus”

I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory
How He gave His life on Calvary to save a wretch like me
I heard about His groaning, of His precious blood’s atoning
Then I repented of my sins and won the victory

Oh victory in Jesus, my Savior forever
He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood
He loved me ‘ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood

I heard about His healing, of His cleansing power revealing
How He made the lame to walk again and ’caused the blind to see
And then I cried, “Dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit”
And somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory

Oh victory in Jesus, my Savior forever
He sought me and He bought me with His redeeming blood
He loved me ‘ere I knew Him and all my love is due Him
He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood

I hope you have a wonderful Spring.  As you look at the beautiful flowers blooming around you, remember the Victory you have in Jesus.

Thank you again for taking the time to read my blog and care about me and my family.  I am still recovering from surgery. I feel good and am back to almost all normal activity.  I am still sore in a few areas including where the drain was.  I also still have the cording under my arm that is limiting full mobility.  I would appreciate prayer that the cording would go away!  I start up PT again this week so that will help me to get some of the shoulder mobility back.  Have a great Spring!