This is the time of the year when so many of us read and reread the Biblical account of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. This year, a phrase jumped off the page and hit me right between my proverbial eyes.

It is in John 20 in the section where Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. After their encounter, the scripture says Mary went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!”

What a message!

We know from Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and Paul that Christ appeared to 12 separate groups of over 500 people before He ascended back to heaven.  But in my opinion, none of their comments are as powerful as Mary Magdalene’s simple words: I Have Seen The Lord.

Implied in those five simple words is the affirmation that Jesus kept His word. He is trustworthy. He will accomplish what He says. He will continue His ministry to and through us. He didn’t just die and leave the scene. He arose and continues to sit at the right hand of the father making intercession for us all.

What a message!

And it still reverberates today. A great perspective giver, during times of stress, pain or frustration is to ask ourselves the question “Where did you see Jesus today?” Instead of focusing on the stressors or negative encounters, confronted with that question, we will be redirected to see Christ superimposed on all the details of our lives.

Try it. You have a fender bender on the way to work. But as you share the experience with your co-workers, you might add, “And the tow truck driver was so kind. He had some praise music going in his cab. And he didn’t even charge me for the extra miles. God was good. I saw the Lord in the whole situation.”

Or maybe when a sickness hits a family member and it forces everyone to just slow down and care for each other. We might be able to say, “I see the Lord in this whole experience. Our change of pace has afforded us time to be together. Time to laugh and time to pray.”

I know that I have seen the Lord in a sunset, along a babbling brook, from a hospital bed, while cruising in front of a glacier and in the face of my loved ones.

With just a little effort, I am guessing that this week we all can see the Lord in tons of experiences, situations and places. We just have to look for Him.