Dcn Anne Strong

My Dear Sisters and Brothers,

“Through the heartfelt mercies of our God, sunrise will break in upon us, shining upon the darkness; those sitting in the shadow of death. THEN, showing us the way, one foot at a time, God will guide us down the pathway of peace.” —Luke :70-79

No matter what our circumstances, my deep belief is that God created us to resurrect. God wants to give us hope and a future. How do we get through mutual catastrophes: 911; mass shootings; division and hate… to name a few? Our personal tragedies: death of loved ones; chronic pain and other health issues; finances; broken relationships?

As a woman who has been broken more than once and as an observer and caregiver, I know the answer….. Jesus’ promise “I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me, though he dies, shall live and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die.” —John 11:25

Our whole lives are held together by this truth…death cannot have us….God has us.We are made to rise. Our precious souls were created for eternities.

BUT resurrection is not just for heaven, it is God’s plan for us, here and now. Tucked inside my heart and yours is invincible hope. God will not leave us in the tomb.

Our reality is that we live in a broken world. We must be prepared with faith and courage to rise from our ashes many times in our lifetime. We are never alone, God is as close as our heartbeat and as near as our breath.

When we say or think “there is no coming back from this”… I envision God smiling gently and saying “WATCH! Hold on. I am going to bless YOU!”

“The light shines in the darkness and the darkness shall NOT overcome it.” —John 1:5

With the love of Christ,

—Dcn Anne