By Doug Creamer

Can it possibly be Easter already? The weather has been fickle. It starts to warm up and then we get a few cold days. I need a jacket one day, and then short sleeves the next. I guess when you think about it, that is the way spring arrives around here.

Have you noticed the pollen on your car? My allergies have started to kick up and I have several friends and colleagues who are struggling. Their eyes and noses are running non-stop. Yes, it’s spring in the Carolinas.

Spring aggravates our allergies, but it also brings incredible beauty. There is one road I drive down that has a yard full of huge azaleas. I always slow down as I drive by that house. The beauty takes my breath away. There is another road in town where both sides are lined with dogwood trees which are in full bloom now. Sometimes I will go out of my way just to drive down that road and enjoy their splendor.

There is a section of Interstate 85 between Lexington and Thomasville that is lined in redbuds. I miss seeing them since I retired. I have noticed that the trees are getting their first leaves. I love their spring green color.

Many of the early spring flowers are beginning to fade and soon it will be time to plant annuals. We will have to keep a close eye on Mother Nature and not be surprised by another cold snap. I am anxiously waiting for the opportunity to begin planting the vegetable garden. I know it is still a week or two away, but I am ready when the weather will cooperate.

Right in the middle of all this beauty is Easter, a time of renewed life and hope. My family has been celebrating Easter at my brother’s house for a number of years. There is always a large crowd and plenty of food. When my nieces and nephews were little, we had a big Easter egg hunt out in the front yard. Now my nieces and nephews are bringing their children to hunt eggs at my brother’s house. Last year we had an adult Easter egg hunt, which was great fun.

I think the best part is getting to see my family, to catch up with everyone. You never know who will be there. There will be laughter and joy as we spend time together. We always have a great time celebrating Easter and being together.

Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. No other world religion offers a savior who rose from the dead. We need a savior because our sin created a barrier to our relationship with God. Jesus came as the sacrifice that bridged the great divide between mankind and God. He opened the door to intimate fellowship with God.

God in his mercy decided that there needed to be one sacrifice for all of our sins…past, present, and future. That could not be accomplished with the blood of goats and sheep; it would require the blood of his son. When Jesus died on the cross on Good Friday, He paid the price for all our sins. He made a way back to fellowship with God. There is only one requirement. We have to accept the gift he offers, the forgiveness of all our sins.

If you accept Jesus as your savior, you will be completely forgiven for every wrong thing you have ever done in your whole life. It’s wiped away! Now you can have a relationship with your father in heaven, the God of the entire universe. You can run into his arms and allow his love to fill your heart, mind, and soul. Your father loves you, but you have to accept his love, his gift of forgiveness through his son Jesus.

I want to encourage you to turn back to God and accept the gift of his forgiveness and love by accepting Jesus as your savior. He died so you can have eternal life with God in heaven. Jesus paid the highest price, his life, to pay a debt you can never pay, so you can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you will be with Jesus and God in heaven when you pass away. Come as you are, with all your mess, to a God who loves you beyond anything you can imagine. There is a place for you in the family of God. Easter is a wonderful time for you to accept God’s gift of salvation and allow His peace and love to fill your heart. Happy Easter!

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041 or doug@dougcreamer.com.