Gratitude Friday...

For this Easter installment of Gratitude Friday, we are going old school.

Like white man with a fro old school.

Growing up, there was one thing we could count on more than the Easter Bunny.

Okay, that's not entirely true. There were two. With the first being that we were not allowed to wake up my parents before the sun came up just to check out our Easter baskets. To quote my dad, "This isn't Christmas, Robin. Go back to bed."

I'm sure I did. Also sure I didn't sleep. Because who can sleep when there are large amounts of sugar to eat before attempting to sit still in big church.

But the second thing we knew would happen on Easter was listening to Don Fransisco's "He's Alive". I believe we actually listened to it on a record player. Our entire childhood. I literally do not remember Dad getting it on tape much less a CD.

Good news though, it's on YouTube and yes, even iTunes. No lie. You can download the song for $0.99.

With the exception of a few years Dad took off to recharge, he has taught Sunday School for as long as I can remember. There are some fabulous pictures of my parents at their young married SS class parties. They taught newly weds like Chris and I do now. Pretty confident my love of newly weds was largely influenced by those photos.

But that's off topic. And I don't have the pictures to share. Which is a shame because oh the perm-tasticness of those photos are worthy of sharing.

So every Easter Sunday, my dad would play "He's Alive" for his SS class. We got to listen to it at home before church as well. Needed to make sure the record still worked. Those things get scratched.

It's a powerful song written from Peter's perspective. Nothing like Jesus telling you during dinner that yep, you're gonna deny knowing me three times before the rooster crows.

And then still doing it.

I can't even imagine the chaos of those moments. Nor the fear.

But I do know what it's like to deny my Savior. Because I have done it so many times in so many ways. Every. Single. Day.

With everything that is in me, I am so humbly grateful Jesus died on that cross. Awed by His love for me no matter how many times I have denied him. And joyfully exuberant He rose on the third day.

"He's alive! He's alive! He's alive and I'm forgiven! Heaven's gate are open wide."