This one is what I like to call an "oldie but a goodie"....

Because with those kind, the oldies but goodies, well, you can never go wrong.  You know you have your favorite pair of shoes or sweater, your time honored recipe for chicken casserole, your go to movie or book selection that may be a couple of decades (or more) behind the times, the "works for every occasion" little black dress, and let us not forget the music of our era...I think they refer to it as a classic nowadays...etc. etc..... you know the reliable pieces of our life.

Well that's what this month's H3 verse is.....an oldie but a goodie.  And one I had thought I might never use because I figured everyone already knew it by heart, already had it memorized and sealed upon their foreheads. 

It was fear really.  Fear that you would be bored when you read the selected verse.  Fear you would think I wasn't trying hard to find a scripture with a good meaty, heart wrenching, or uplifting or life changing revelation type moment involved.  

I figured you would read this months verse and think, "really, that's all she could come up with from ALL the verses in the bible, all those out there that we need to really be sinking our teeth into, and she gives us this?  I know this. I've known this since I was a kid. Why in the world would I need to write this on a 3 x 5 index card and paste it to my bathroom mirror this month as a reminder? I know this. I can say it in my sleep. " 

Basically, just add this to all my other insecurities in life, I was scared I would disappoint you.  And so for months I have left it out of the H3 possibilities. But no more.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life. "

~John 3:16

Yes. I know. I know. You already know it. You've known it since you were a kid. You can say it in your sleep.

But so what. You don't think it's worth celebrating every day you wake up and the Lord has given you the gift of life. Oh, I do.  Maybe you have children who don't know this verse yet. Teach it to them. My eyes were opened to how easy this verse is for us, for everyone, during a recent Sunday service.  In his sermon, the pastor walked near my kids (Elder Son sitting on the 2nd pew, Baby Girl and Middle Child one row behind him) and said -- "John 3:16"  then looked at them saying "you all know it"....and proceeded to listen, as in unison, my 3 blessings from the Lord recited it back to him. 

I don't recall sitting down and teaching it to them, I just know they've heard many people (Sunday school teachers, pastors, VBS workers, missionaries, family members, etc) refer to it hundreds of times over the span of their short lives. They know it because it is "an oldie but a goodie". 

It's Easter month. We'll all be hunting eggs and eating chocolate bunnies soon. We'll eat ham and deviled eggs, and maybe a pineapple casserole. At church we'll spend some time focusing on the death of Jesus & his crucifixion, as well as celebrate His rising on the third day. But do we really stop and think about what happened, what really happened for us. For me. For you. For our children. For our children's children.

God gave up his son.  I can't do that. It would be physically, emotionally and mentally impossible for me to allow that same fate to fall on one of my kiddos. As hard as these teen years are forecasted to be, and the mood swings that already arise at times, I could never watch people beat or spit on Elder Son.  I would never allow Middle Child to hang on a cross by nails while others stood by laughing and mocking. And assuming I had the power, you can rest assured Baby Girl would never breathe her last breath....not on my time. And I certainly wouldn't do it for all the vile people of the world, or even just for you. I'm sorry, but I'm just being real.

But God allowed that all and more to happen to his child.  And for us. A bunch of filthy sinners. The vile people we hate. Me. You.

He gave up his Son. He gave us Jesus. He gave us life. He gave us life in Him.

Go back up to the first paragraph of this post....see those words/phrases I highlighted?  They stand out for a reason.  Because every single one of them describes this verse and it's meaning for us.

God gave us Jesus.  An oldie but a goodie.

• He is a favorite.  (I'd pick him in any horse race, to win out in my bracket, to knock out the competition in the first round, to be the hands down....favorite.  Anyone would be dumb to not choose Him.)
• He is time honored. (remember that little thing about Him being the Alpha and the Omega?  yep, that clinches the epitome of time honored.)
• He is the go to. (period. need advice? ask Him. )
• He works for every occassion. (love, mercy, grace, the good times, the bad times, the depression, the deaths, the nasty, ugly moments where he brings about peace and comfort, somehow.)
• He is a classic. (like a good Hemmingway or Dickens novel, oh, you'll read about Him for years to come. Sure, his "claim to fame" happened over 2000 years ago, but He's still got it after all this time.)
• He is reliable. (when all others fail us, He's still right there.In a section all His own. By far, whether we want to hang our hat on worldly "things" or not, in the end, HE is THE MOST RELIABLE PIECE of our life.)

I know. You already know it. You can say it in your sleep.

Now live it.