Come
Nothing makes my heart swell more (now doesn’t that sound like a cheesy one line opening to a Hallmark card) than when I open my arms and my nieces and nephew come running into them. My open arms signal for them to come. And they usually don’t just come — they run.
If we are really being honest here, somewhere between childhood and adulthood , it can be super easy to lose that desire to run when Jesus says , ” Come.”
He has invited us to come.
Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest– Jesus (Matthew 11:28)
His invitation for us to come to Him came at the cross.
He died so I could live.
And He calls to me and you, “Come.”
Come with your dreams, your fears, your failures, your shame.
Come with the things that make you come alive.
Come with the things that make you feel like death.
Come when you are tired, come when you are full of passion and energy.
Come when you are proud and come when you feel ashamed.
His invitation for us to come is at the cross.
He came so I could come.
A year ago I found a crumpled cross buried among the rubble of a church building that had pancaked in an earthquake in Nepal, burying many inside. At that cross, Jesus said to me, ” Come.” Come to me with your questions about finding hope beneath this rubble. Come to me with your fears. Come.
That began a journey for me to the cross. I accepted Christ’s invitation of the cross as a small child. I believed with the child like wonder. I ran to His arms.
But it can become normal for me. I can allow the glory story of the cross to lose it’s mystery. To forget it’s power. To forget that it was for ME.
For the past year, I have experienced Jesus drawing me near to the cross. Studying the footsteps of Jesus from cradle to the cross. Noticing the way He walked. The way He talked. The things He wanted me to draw near to hear from him.
Much of this involved writing. I wrote and wrote and wrote. Chapters about Jesus. About the cross. About how what Jesus did to seal my eternity can change my everyday. It was such a sweet season. At times a lonely quiet season. Writing is a quiet activity. But in the quiet places, Jesus spoke. And He changed me.
The more I studied the cross, the more I sensed the power of the cross.
The more I prayed for you to experience the love of the cross, the more I found love.
Friends, I came alive at the cross.
I am so excited, humbled, (slightly afraid to be honest) to invite you to join me.
Tomorrow (or today if you are reading this by e-mail) Coming Alive at the Cross will be released as an e-book and a print book on Amazon. I would be so beyond excited if you would join me in this adventure.
The book is different from my other books. It is an actual chapter book with five days of devotional heart work at the end of each chapter, allowing you to take a 40 day heart adventure. You can read the book all at once, or read a chapter and do the five days after , then read the next chapter.
However you come alive. But would you do me the honor of joining in this exciting journey. There are some hilarious stories so I promise you will laugh. There are some heart wrenching moments, so you may cry.
But I know you will experience Jesus in these pages in a new way. And while you are at it, invite a friend to join you in the journey.
I am honored to come alive at the cross with you.
Books available on Amazon Here ( or just go to Amazon and type in Jennifer Hand )