Death and Life

Today in church our Pastor preached about what it means to be marked by the presence of Christ. This is one of our core values as a church body.

When we are marked by the presence of Christ it means we experience death and life just as Christ did.  Christ was crucified on our behalf so we could be set free from our sins.  But he also was resurrected into new life!

As Christians we all have experienced death in some form or another.  The death of a loved one.  The death of a dream.  But in Christ we also have new life!

Our pastor described the Christian life in this way:  We live at the intersection of resurrection and crucifixion.  In this life we will face death but we will also experience new life.  And unfortunately you can't take resurection lane without crossing crucifixion way.

This sermon reminded me so much of our adoption journey.  It felt like something died inside me when we couldn't get pregnant.  When we chose to focus our energy on adoption it felt like I was alive again!

If you think about adoption there is death and life wrapped up in it as well.  The Birth Mothers of our children probably did not plan on getting pregnant when they did.  But they chose life for their baby by carrying that baby to term and then placing it in someone else's arms.

The decision to place a child for adoption is never an easy one and in some ways when that child is placed in someone else's arms I can only imagine it feels somewhat like a death has occurred.  Being on the receiving end of adoption I can't tell you the indescribable joy that has radiated through me when a baby, that is not my own, is given to me to parent.  Death and Life.  Crucifixion and Resurrection. These two opposites are blended together to make something beautiful through the gift of adoption!

And that's how God writes our stories as Christians as well.  We have to experience death in order to experience life.  And we aren't alone in these experiences.  God experienced them first when he died on the cross and was resurrected!  And the best part?!  He did it all for us!