early or late... and always

I've never been to an Easter sunrise service...
That seems strange, coming from the girl who longs to rush to the shore for every sunrise and sunset... but I suppose the timing has never been quite right.  Maybe someday...
: :
I woke this Easter Sunday knowing that it would be different. 
Eric working... yuck. 
Late service... double yuck.  The only saving grace for that would be Camden being the crucifer...
But somewhere in my heart I felt a breath of grace, and it allowed me to set aside me and open my heart to the possibility that God might just have something in store for me... at the late service.

After my Cadbury egg breakfast, I still had a hour or so to pass... and maybe it was the sugar talking, but it sent me right to the treadmill. And right there, at the edge of the garage, I celebrated my very own sunrise Easter worship.  Big Daddy Weave sang all of the right words and for 30 minutes my feet kept pace with my tears, and my arms flew high in praise and wide to receive Him.  Mad lip-syncing worship... oh how my heart felt every word, with sun on my face and a full, full heart.

Yours is the name, the name that has saved me

 mercy and grace the power that forgave me

and Your Love is all I never needed

Jesus... just that name 

When it was finally time to head for the late service, Camden & I set out on our own.  The radio was proclaiming a Palm Sunday sermon from the week before... and as the Pastor spoke, my stomach grew sick.  I felt His pain... there on the cross.   Right then and there, without trumpet fanfare or an alleluia for miles, I knew I needed Easter... early and late.  And I needed it now... 
: :
Easter Sunday turned out beautiful and better than I could have planned.
Full of laughter and love and fun and family... Jesus. Always.