By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

We are just coming off of a beautiful Easter weekend.  Many folks were in our churches to celebrate and to remember the great gift of love that Jesus gave through His shed blood on the cross.  Perhaps that word – “remember” – sums it up the best.  Because as we remember, we focus on what took place.

This photo comes from one of our D.C. trips several years ago.  It is a wall of remembrances hand-decorated by children and lining an open wall space inside the Smithsonian’s Holocaust Museum.  But why would anyone want to remember the holocaust or 9-11 or any other horrific tragedy in the past?

I think the answer is that we need to remember.  Even if we weren’t physically there, we need to remember the pain of those events.  We need to remember the anguish, the terror, the disgust, and the tears.  Only when we remember the pain do we remember the One Who takes away the pain!

Easter is about remembering the pain, anguish, and certainly the great love of the One Who took all of my sins upon His shoulders so that I could live.

Remember.  We must remember.  The world needs to hear us tell of His work in our lives, His blessings upon our families, and His watchcare over our every living moment.  We weren’t physically at the cross when He died, but we were all represented and accounted for!

Look ahead, planning your week and doing what must be done.  But be careful to also remember the pain of your yesterdays and celebrate the One Who continues to bring you through.

Just a thought.