The Resurrection of Our Lord, Easter Sunday, April 17

Easter Sunday, April 17

Luke 24:5: The women were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.”

I’ve had a few scary experiences in my life, but the scariest by far occurred at the time of the birth of our daughter, Sarah.

It was Thursday, August 14, 1997. Sarah was born around 11:30 am. For the first couple of hours, everything seemed to be ok and then we learned that Karrie was hemorrhaging. They could not get the bleeding to stop. I watched in horror as her color became ashen and she could not remain alert or awake.

They wheeled Karrie into emergency surgery and I was left sitting alone in the room where our daughter had just been born a few hours earlier. I felt alone. Completely alone. Our family had gone out to get something to eat and I could not reach them (no cell phones at that time). As I sat praying and crying in the chair I had slept in the previous night, a nurse came into the room to ask if she could give Sarah formula since Karrie was incapacitated. I didn’t know. This was a decision that Karrie would make. The nurse could see my fear and uncertainty. She invited me to come down to the nursery with her.

The nurse assured me that it would be ok to give Sarah a bit of “sugar water” to hold her over until Karrie came out of surgery. She invited me to sit in a rocking chair and she brought Sarah over to me. I’ll never forget Sarah looking up at me as I rocked her in the chair. She had no idea what was happening with her mother. She seemed safe and secure in my arms. I distinctly remember the feeling of anxiety as I thought to myself, “I’m in over my head. I have no idea what I’m doing or even what I’m supposed to be doing.”

After about an hour and a half the doctor came and found me. He had seen the horror on my face when Karrie was taken to surgery and I’m sure he could still see that I was not ok. He was smiling. I stood as he grabbed both my shoulders and said, “We got it. Karrie is going to be ok.” I cried again.

I’m mindful that the only reason my wife is alive today is because we have access to excellent healthcare. Childbirth continues to be a leading cause of death among women in various places around the world. Had we been Haitian, Karrie would have died.

It’s difficult to choose love and choose hope in every situation. The women who went to the tomb were crestfallen until the two men in dazzling clothes gave them the good news that Jesus had been raised. I was surrounded by some dazzling people on the scariest day of my life. While I could not choose love or hope because the depth of my fear was so great, others did it for me. They held me. They comforted me. They stood with me. And for that I thank God. May we be people who choose love and choose hope not only within our own lives, but in support and care for others. May we be angels in dazzling clothes who bring the good news that love and life win so that we and all the world may experience real life in Jesus’ name.

Resurrecting God, thank you for surrounding us with angels who walk with us, hold us, and assure us that love and life win. May we be such messengers led by your Spirit sent to bring good news to all in Jesus’ name. Amen

Pastor Doug Hill, Lead Pastor