Lessons from Easter - 2012

Happy Easter, everyone!!!  I hope that all of you have had a beautiful and blessed Easter weekend as we have celebrated our living Lord!!  It has been such a great one here in American Samoa.   First, we had a wonderful Good Friday service at Happy Valley (the Samoan Baptist church on campus) on Friday morning.  And then on Saturday evening, Tafuna Baptist (the English speaking church I attend) had our Easter service, with a powerful message and such a sweet, sweet spirit among us.  Then this morning, we combined with Happy Valley once more for a sunrise service at their sanctuary!!  It has most definitely been an Easter worship filled weekend and I have been reminded of many, many things including God's love for me and all those around me, His incredible sacrifice and His blessings of abundant life here and eternal life when this life is over.  So, many lessons re-visited, but one of the sweetest didn't really come from any of our services, but from my little buddy Demitrius (see picture below). 
As many of you know, one of the greatest joys of being here in American Samoa has been the relationships I have been able to build among the people here.  One relationship that I treasure so much has been the young Samoan family that lives with us here on campus.  Fola, Fianu, Tim, Rachel and Demitrius......they are such precious people and I have grown to love them as my own family!!!  Well, this morning as I was coming down my steps, in the early morning darkness, on the way to sunrise service, Tim and Demitrius came out of their apartment heading the same way.  Tim is around 9 years old and Demitrius will be 2 in a few months.  I waited on them to catch up to me and began walking the rest of the way to the church with them. 
As we was walked in the darkness, with Demitrius beside me, I simply put my hand down next to him and immediately I felt tiny, precious fingers grasping my hand.  In the darkness of early morning, he was looking for some security and my hand seemed to provide just that!!  I smiled as he walked on and then after a few more steps, I felt his pace slow down a little.  We stopped, I looked down at him and he was standing there with arms stretched upward with such an innocent, vulnerable look that seemed to say, "I'm tired, will you carry me the rest of the way?"  I smiled at him, bent over, picked him up and smiling together, we walked the remainder of the path, up the steps of the church and inside to where his father (Fola) was waiting!!  
As services started and I began to reflect on Easter, my experience with Demitrius came flooding in and God reminded me that, as believers, we can have that same intimate moment with him.  Just as Demitrius found the comfort of my hand during the early morning darkness, we too, have the promise of God's great hand always available to us during those "dark" times of our journeys.  All we have to do is grab hold of it as Demitrius did with mine.   And in those days that we simply don't have the strength, courage or ability to walk another step, he is there for us; to carry us, comfort us and protect us till we make it to that safe harbor where we can rest in Him and find the renewal we so desperately need and desire!!!  Hallelujah, What a Savior!!!!!!

                                      Finau, Tim, Rachel, Fola and Demitrius on Good Friday