Easter Spring Time

by Dale Grubaugh

I love spring! Something I love about the Ozark Mountains is that we have all four seasons mighty deliberate. But I got to admit, of all four? Spring sure is my favorite.

Watching the world shake off the icy chains of a cold, dark winter is a marvel.

I love the feel of the sun on my face. I love the smell of the flowering trees — the pear, the dogwood, the plum and the sarvis. It is surely the incense of life.

The grass greenin’ up, the daffodils wavin’ in the wind and the trees puttin’ out new leaves gives hope that the winter’s deadness is giving way to new life.

I take none of it for granted, cherishing ever’ single day.

Life is a wonderful gift.

On February 11, 2006, I died. Yes, you read that right.

As a result of complications due to chemotherapy, my heart stopped. For a few minutes I was clinically dead.

Was it scary? No. When asked, I told one of the emergency room nurses that I wasn’t upset about what had just happened, because I had just experienced Heaven, adding,“If that’s all there is to dying, it’s not bad.”

I remember seein’ folks I knew. I remember wantin’ to stay. But the thing I remember the most was the feeling of peace.

The Bible talks about the peace that passes understanding and I sure believe that’s what I experienced.

Jesus told His disciple Thomas, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe.”

I have preached the reality of Heaven all my adult life and I have believed it to be real but that day, God allowed me the opportunity to know without a doubt Heaven is real.

Now I ain’t gonna lie. Even as a Christian, I was afraid of dying. But not anymore. I hope God allows me to live ’til I'm 150, but whenever He is ready for me, I’ll be ready to go.

Today, Easter Sunday, we celebrate the reason no one has to fear death.

Jesus, God’s Son, experienced death on the cross of Calvary for us. He took upon himself man’s sin and allowed His blood to be spilled in order to wash away our sin — once, and for all.

On the cross, Jesus also experienced — for us — the agony of being separated from His Heavenly Father.

From the cross He cried, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” As Jesus hung on that cross, God turned His face away from His only begotten Son.

God could not look upon my sin. He couldn’t look upon your sin. When Jesus died, He was stone cold dead. He was sealed in a borrowed tomb and on the third day after His death, God raised Him from the dead.

He defeated death for us!

Because of His death we have the forgiveness of sin. And — because of Jesus’ resurrection — we have the certainty of life beyond death. We have a new hope, a new life, and the promise of a home in Heaven if we will only accept what God has done for us through Jesus.

I think it is right fittin’ we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection in the springtime of the year.

Spring, in all its splendor, gives us the promise of new life coming out of the deadness of winter.

Jesus — steppin’ out of that tomb — gives all who will believe the promise of new life as we come out of the deadness of sin.

Sin’s hold has been broken.

Death has been defeated. God’s grace is more than sufficient. Because of what God has done for us through Jesus, there is no need to fear!

Let’s celebrate!

’Till next time,

Elias Tucker

April 24, 2011

About the columnist:

Dale Grubaugh, writing as “Elias Tucker from The Holler” is a valued contributor to State of the Ozarks. He is a man who loves his Ozark culture deeply.

As a Southern Baptist preacher and pastor, Dale has dedicated his life to the people of these hills.

Also, he has worked hard in many facets of the Branson show industry. And he has lived the Ozarks, fishing, hunting, appreciating the wilds that are so close — but so closely forgotten.

— Joshua Heston, editor