- Looking
- Unto the
- Cross.....
LENT
Saturday, April 1
Matthew 27: 50,51 (NKJV)
"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split."
April 1, 2000
Dear friend,
I wish you were here today. It's spring in the south and all of the dogwoods and azaleas are in bloom. My neighborhood is ablaze with various shades of pinks and purples along with splashes of white. Isn't it amazing how a dogwood bloom has the little cross inside? If you were here right now, we could sit on my deck and watch the birds eating at my bird feeders. The feeders are located just in front of some Georgia pine trees. The squirrels wait in those trees for an opportunity to sneak a few bites of food when the birds fly away. While we're relaxing on the deck, we could spend time talking and sipping on glasses of iced tea. There's one problem though, I live in a busy area and the noise from the traffic can sometimes be disturbing. The worst thing is the sound of the sirens that are going to a car wreck or emergency call. I get really upset when I hear sirens.
Have I ever told you why I can't stand sirens? Well, on August 1, 1998, my siren call came. It caused me to tremble and my world felt like it was crumbling. Denny and I had just fallen asleep. The telephone rang at exactly midnight. It's the call that every parent dreads. "Mrs. Latham, this is the hospital. Your son Todd has been in a car wreck. We have him here in the emergency room. Do we have your permission to treat him? Come quickly Mrs. Latham." I felt the floor tremble.
As we rushed to the hospital, we didn't know if Todd was dead or alive. My tears flowed as I quietly prayed. Denny, Patrick (our other son), and I ran to the desk in the emergency room. They called the nurse to the desk. She introduced herself as she led us back to Todd's room. After the introduction, she didn't talk. She had a cold solemn look on her face. Finally, I turned and looked into her face. I nervously asked, "Is he alive?" She smiled and said, "Yes, but he just keeps asking for you." When we entered his room, we saw that he was in one piece. He had some cuts and bruises and had taken a hard blow to the head. But HE WAS ALIVE!! When he finally saw us, he just kept saying, "I'm sorry Mom." "Sorry." "I'm sorry Mom." "Sorry." "Sorry." There was no apology necessary. We were so thankful that he was alive!
Have you ever had a siren call? Maybe you're in the midst of one right now. What makes your world tremble and shake? What "rock" have you been holding onto that has now suddenly split open?
Look at today's scripture. Notice that the very instant that Jesus surrendered His life for us, we had immediate access to the Father...... the veil of the temple was torn in two! He was there before the earth quaked. He was there before the rocks split.
Dear friend, if you are in the middle of a siren call, please remember this. As the earth quakes and the rocks split, Jesus is there! He is alive. He is calling for you. Turn and look to Him.
Have a wonderful celebration at Easter friend. Stop by for some iced tea the next time you're in Georgia. And when your dogwoods bloom, don't forget to look for the cross.
Your friend,
Mary Beth
Luke 12:35
Mary Beth Latham
Marietta, GA USA
Father
How uncertain life is, and how badly I simply take it for granted. That I am not alone in that does not lessen the oppressiveness that brings to my life. I'm not asking for guarantees or even constant warm fuzzies. I just want to be more vitally aware of your presence everyday of my life. Sirens or not.
Amen
[Psalms 87, 90] [Gen. 47:27 - 48:7] [I Cor. 10:1-13] [Mark 7:1-23]
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