Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God. Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
– John 20:16-18
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" - 2 Corinthians 5:17.
Letting Go
Mary’s Easter story has been on my mind recently. I wish I could ask her what she thinks of living by faith. This story gives me reason to think she would say it’s not easy. Consider the turmoil she endured just to end up at an empty tomb. Then imagine her hearing her own name spoken by the one she loves. Driven by pure joy, she grabs ahold of the tangible, real body of her Lord, only to be told, “No, you can’t hold on. You must be willing to let go!” Living by faith is hard!
Even so, Mary let go of the known, the safe. Did she know that her act of surrender would transform her from Mary, the disciple, to Mary, the apostle? A new life became available to her by letting go. None of us knows to what extent letting go will free us to become the new creatures Paul speaks of in 2 Corinthians.
Likewise, our family has been challenged to let go of the tangible and predictable. A year ago in April, we had to release the ministry and relationships connected with the English service Beth helped lead for over two years. I (David) have had to let go of several ministry opportunities at school due to various changes. As we look to our coming year in the U.S., the kids are struggling with the prospect of letting go of their friends and the only home they’ve ever known.
And Beth and I are working on letting go of our need to control the future. We still need to find someone to sublease our apartment and buy our car before July 31st.
Yet amid the losses, there has been a newness of faith. We have been granted a year-long rental of a furnished home for missionaries. Our address, beginning August 1, is 111 N. President, Wheaton, IL 60187. In addition, a friend from college has offered us the use of his car for the year. We are so grateful for God’s provision.
Our prayer is that we will continue to let go and, in doing so, echo Mary’s words, “We have seen the Lord.”
Prayer Needs
- Reliable sub-renter for our apartment/ Aug. 2019 – Aug. 2020
- Sell car at a reasonable price
- Say goodbyes well
- Nursing job for Beth to be able to refresh her skills
