Phil Vischer (creator of Veggie Tales) wrote an article titled What The Dentist Taught Me About Life.

Phil starts by telling all about how he was a fearful child, who above all feared the dentist. He goes on to say, "As I grew older, though, I learned something important. A trip to the dentist might hurt, but it would do no harm. I was slowly learning the difference between hurt and harm. Between discomfort and damage. A shot from the doctor might be uncomfortable, but it would do no damage. The hurt would pass quickly and I would walk away just fine. This was a discomfort I need not fear. And thus the Christian life."

I don't have to tell you, life on earth is scary. Cancer, car accidents, political turmoil, terrorists, violence of all kinds. There are so many things that could and do harm us on this planet. We would like to deny that eventually harm will come to us. We buy insurance, move to a safe neighborhood, take vitamins. We do all we can to minimuze and delay harm to ourselves and those we love.

Phil goes on to say, "But eventually harm finds us. We exercise and drink strange green smoothies but cancer finds us anyway. We drive carefully and wear seatbelts, but an accident can still take a loved one. And when all our preparations and precautions fail, we despair.

This is a typical human life. But it isn't a Christian life. The life of a Jesus follower is a whole different thing. As a Jesus follower, there's but one thing I truly need: The love of Jesus. His love guarantees a happy ending to my story and delivers the supernatural strength to get me to that happy ending. And what can separate me from Jesus' love? You go it. Nothing.

Nothing can rob me of my happy ending. Not cancer. Or a car accident. Or even, incredibly, death itself. So, as a follower of Jesus, the pains of this life can hurt, but they can do no harm."

Friends, we know life on earth will bring discomfort, it will bring hurt. But we know how the story ends!! That's what Easter is all about - our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ living the life we should have lived, dying the death we should have died and then rising triumphantly on Easter morn! Jesus has beat death and sin and all that weighs us down.

While we live on this earth, times are challenging. Yes, hard times come. Yes, we can be hurt. But ultimately, because we rest in the hands of God, we cannot be harmed. We are safe. And as Phil Vischer says, "When we know we're safe, something amazing happens. We can live fearlessly."

How about that for a happy ending?!

In Christ's ministry together ~ Pastor Caryn