He rose in morning’s dark, and he rose stiff and cranky and drank half a pot of coffee before his mind would move or his muscles would respond.”
–Ernest Haycox (The Earthbreakers)
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Whooee, Pard, it was dark this mornin’. I wanted to linger in the bed, but knew that yu’d be over soon. Out in the woods there was nary a light that I could see, not even the stars were shinin’ as I looked up through the trees. Made me wonder, that dark gloomy day, that Saturday after the crucifixion when the body of Jesus was in the tomb, did the stars cast their light on the earth? Perhaps it was overcast, overcast like the hearts of the followers of Jesus.
Oh, let me pour yur coffee. I don’t mean to be negligent, Pard. Sometimes I get caught up in my thoughts. Never had this particular brew before. The middle granddaughter brought me coffee from her spring trip to Colorado, Delta I think it was. Made it strong, as usual. Ahhh, not too bad, not too bad atall.
I was readin’ from ol’ Luke where he said that Jesus, “Father, into Your hands I commit my spirit.” Look at that Pard–that is faith. In His dyin’ He never wavered from His mission and His fellowship with the Father. Pard, Jesus never doubted that He would rise again. He didn’t much look forward to the agony and death, but after that, yuh might say it was a cinch He would win, defeat the grave and death, and rise again.
But ol’ Peter, and the rest of the bunch were livin’ in a fearful time. They had lost hope. Somewhere along the line they must’ve got together again. Maybe they came to wherever they were stayin’ one by one. Perhaps there were a few of them huddled in there already, moaning, fearful as they saw their Hope die. Yep, seems they had hope in death but not in the Master, at least not the eternal type of hope. Not only was it dark that Saturday mornin’ it was dark down in their souls.
Smell that brew, take a good taste, breathe deeply, then say “ahhh.” Makes yuh feel good. Pard, that Saturday was a bad day for the disciples. But as ol’ preacher Lockeridge preached: “Sunday’s comin’!”
Let’s enjoy our coffee, ready for the dawnin’ of a new day. We don’t live in forsaken hope, He is risen! Hope is alive in our breast, and yuh better get yurself ready ’cause Jesus is comin’ back–soon. There’s are new hope. The death and resurrection are past–hallelujah! Listen now for the hoofbeats. Better have that spiritual cinch tight, ’cause Jesus is comin’ back just as He promised.
Vaya con Dios.