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My daughter bought the orange juice, and we headed out to the sunrise service at Happy Hill, Texas, early one Easter morning.

We planned to have pancakes afterward. All the church members brought foldup chairs and placed them behind the church, beside the road facing east. The musicians brought their guitars. Everyone either wore a sweater, a jacket, or a blanket. I always get a little emotional at these Easter services.

As we sang praises to God, the wind picked up. I pulled my blanket tightly around me. The church members expressed their feelings with tears of joy and happiness. After singing for a while, the big ole orange ball peeped out of the clear blue sky.

Worshiping with other Christians moved me. Had I been standing at the tomb of Christ on resurrection morning, I would not have felt any different. God’s presence was so real, right there and right then. I imagined the excitement Mary Magdalene must have felt when she heard the risen Lord call out to her on that Easter morning.

When Mary came to the tomb of Christ that Sunday morning and saw that the stone had been rolled away, she was sad. She feared someone had stolen the body of Christ. She ran and told the disciples. Not all the disciples knew Jesus would rise again on the third day. They were in for a big surprise.

Once Mary returned to the tomb, her tears of sadness turned to tears of joy. “Mary,” Jesus called. Mary turned and recognized the Lord. He had risen from the dead, and He had spoken to her. It was a special morning for Mary Magdalene, a Sonrise she would never forget. Now she knew her Lord was not dead but alive.

Because Christ rose from the dead, we can expect a resurrection of our own if we believe in Him. And He invites everyone to be a part of this.

Take a moment to thank God for resurrection morning. Because of this, we will live and not die.

(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)

(For more devotions, visit Christian Devotions.)