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It was just a few weeks ago that I was looking out my window at piles of snow from what had to be the most snow filled February's ever. It seemed a constant battle of shoveling and staying warm as the 14" snow storm hit Orrville early in the month. Yet, other areas of the country faced conditions more severe. Even so, in the aftermath of all the snow and cold we are assured that spring will arrive and the warm breezes of April and May will once again refresh us.

As with the weather, there are storms of life that abruptly change our routine and normal patterns. A vivid example of this can be seen in the events of Jesus' life and the Easter Season. Until that last week in Jerusalem everything had been going quite well for Jesus and his followers. Jesus had been preaching, teaching and healing. Great things were happening and the crowds and onlookers grew to great numbers. At the beginning of the week Jesus rode into town with the streets lined with people shouting in support of this one who had brought them hope.

Yet, the storm was brewing. Plots were being made against his life. On Friday we see the crowds shouting once again. This time, however, it was for his life. And so it is that the storm unleashes its full fury and we see Jesus nailed to a cross dying as a common criminal.

In the midst of this storm life had changed. The crowd of supporters vanished, the disciples fled in fear and the preaching stopped. But the story doesn't end there. Three days later spring came again. With the Resurrection came new hope and life in the face of life's most devastating storm of death itself.

All of us face storms of life. They come in various degrees, they come unexpectedly or from long periods of development. They are not easy times and we're not exempt from them. Even so, the season of Easter tells us the story doesn't end in the storm. Our faith tells us of resurrection, of hope and of life. In our example and reality of the Risen Christ we are assured that spring will come again.

Rev. Dave Kowaleski

For Rev. Dave's Dining In the Word Blog: Click Here.