Rebirth

If you don't know the story behind these photos, you might not be able to tell the difference between these two women. The one above, with the large pack on her back, is a teenage girl, confused, lonely and crushed by the weight of sin. She is carrying a heavy load, one that has caused everyone she loves to grieve. She is impulsive and adventurous but also unthinking and immature. She has carried the heavy pack on a long journey and adds to it regularly.

This woman is also impulsive and adventurous. She loves to explore and try new things. She has more wisdom and maturity than her younger counterpart but that is not the difference. The difference between these two women lies here:

Easter, for me, is about how we become new. How we are reborn as spiritual children of Christ. Through the resurrection we are reconciled to Him and all that we have been before is changed. The miracle of this is that, just as the two pictures above represent me, they are at the same time two different people. A self-centered sinner transformed into a humbled servant. The miracle of the Atonement doesn't erase the past; it transforms it. When we allow the Savior to do His work in us we have a path of growth to look back on rather than destruction. As I reflect today on the healing of the garden and the cross, this is what I come back to. This garden truly is a healing place.