Kris and Kell had a great time exploring Bulls Island in South Carolina. When the Uber driver picked them up at the boat landing and took them to the hotel, she said that she would see them in the morning.
The next morning after breakfast in the hotel, Kris and Kell packed their bags and went outside. Their Uber driver was waiting for them in the SUV. Kell asked where the driver was going to take them, but the Uber driver did not say anything. Once they were in the SUV, they left the hotel, and the driver acted like she was driving a race car, it was a wild ride!
Kris and Kell assumed that they were going to the airport and to take a plane to their next destination, but the Uber driver went past the airport without stopping. Kris and Kell wondered where they were going, but they realized that it was useless to ask the driver.
Soon they came to a screeching stop in front of a house. Kell asked, “Are we supposed to go into this house? Is this where our next adventure will be?”
The Uber driver said, “No, you do not get out, I get out here! This is where I live. She handed Kris an envelope, got out of the SUV, went into the house and shut the door. Kris opened the envelope and found these instructions: ‘Drive this rented SUV to Eureka Springs Arkansas. You will get more instructions at the Post Office in Eureka Springs. It takes two days to get there, you have a hotel reservation tonight in Nashville, Tennessee. Enjoy the trip! Think about Easter!’
This was unusual, but Kris and Kell decided that it would be very nice to drive for a couple of days instead of taking an airplane. This way they would get to see a beautiful part of our country.
Everything went perfectly on the first day, and it looked like this was going to be the perfect adventure, but then it happened. They were almost to Eureka Springs, Arkansas when they got a flat tire! Kris and Kell got out of the car and knew that it was up to them to change that tire. They were not looking forward to this job! Just then an old car pulled up behind them and a friendly young man and woman got out of the car. The woman said, “It’s too bad that you have a flat tire, I’m glad that we found you here, we want to brighten your day and encourage you!” Kris and Kell were so happy that these nice people were going to help change the flat tire, but that is not what happened! The man and woman got a banjo and a guitar out of their car and began to play the instruments and sing while Kris and Kell worked at changing that tire!
It took Kris and Kell about 45 minutes to get that tire changed, and the man and woman played and sang the whole time! When Kris and Kell were finished, the man and woman stopped playing, and the woman said, “Our music sure made the time pass quickly! I’m glad we could help you!” Then they got in their old car and drove off.
Kris and Kell just shook their heads, they could not believe what had just happened! They needed help changing that tire, they did not need to have live music while they were changing the tire! What were those people thinking!
Kris and Kell made it into Eureka Springs with no further problems, and they went to the post office. There was an envelope waiting for them. The instructions told them where they had reservations for the next two nights and told them that in the morning, they were to take Hwy 62 West until they got to a chapel outside of the city.
The next morning, they took Hwy 62 West, and they did not have to go too far. Just outside of Eureka Springs they found a place that was called Thorncrown Chapel! When they saw this chapel, they could not believe their eyes!
This chapel has a wooden frame, but it seemed like it was almost all made of glass! In fact, there are 425 windows in this chapel! The chapel is open for people who want to spend some time there, and on special occasions Church services are held in the chapel.
There was no one else there when Kris and Kell arrived, and they quietly went into the chapel. It was so beautiful! All the windows made them feel like they were outside in the woods that surround the chapel. Kris and Kell did not talk to each other, they both felt like they wanted to spend time by themselves just talking to God, so that is what they did.
Kell stayed in the chapel and spent the day praying and singing songs to God. Kris stayed in the chapel for a while, and then he went outside and spent most of the day walking in the woods. He also was praying and singing to God as he walked. It was a day when Kris and Kell both felt like they made a special connection with God!
Lesson Learned about God
Later that day they went back to their hotel, and they were both kind of quiet and shy around each other. It had been a very special day; they each met with God in a very meaningful way!
Kell noticed that Kris had some dried blood on the side of his head and asked him what had happened. Kris looked embarrassed and said, “I was walking in the woods and singing to God and apparently, I was not paying attention to where I was going! I walked right into a dead tree branch that was hanging down and it scratched my head. It is only a scratch, but cuts on the head always bleed a lot. I could not believe how much it hurt, and then as the day grew hotter, I started to sweat and the sweat got into the scratch and made it hurt even more. Then the flies and other bugs began to bother the scratch and it about drove me crazy!”
Kell said, “Today while I was in the chapel I was thinking about how much Jesus suffered to pay for our sins. The chapel is called Thorncrown Chapel, and the cut on your head reminds me that Jesus had a crown of thorns placed on His head, and then the soldiers beat the thorns into his skin! The small cut on your head hurt a lot, the sweat made it hurt more, and the bugs biting the cut were almost more than you could stand! Imagine how much worse it was for Jesus; He had thorns beat into His head! He probably had blood running down all over His face and hair. The soldiers kept beating Him and probably beat Him on the head some more! The pain would have been unbearable! He allowed these people to do all this to Him and then allowed them to crucify Him! He did all this because He loved us so much and wanted to provide a way for us to have our sins forgiven!”
Kris agreed and added, “It was an awful way to die, but it was the only way to pay for all the sins that have ever been committed from the time of Adam and Eve up to the last moment of history, Jesus paid the price for all the sins! But the best part is that Jesus did not stay dead! Three days later, on the first Easter Sunday, Jesus rose from the dead and now He lives forever! Those that believe in Jesus and ask Him to forgive them and come in and take over their life will also live with Jesus forever! Jesus is with the Father up in heaven now, and he is wearing a crown! This is not a crown of thorns, but a crown of majesty and great glory because He paid for the sins of the world and defeated Satan and death!”
In the Bible in Hebrews 2:9-10 it says:
What we do see is Jesus, who for a little while was given a position “a little lower than the angels”; and because He suffered death for us, He is now “crowned with glory and honor.” Yes, by God’s grace, Jesus tasted death for everyone. God, for whom and through whom everything was made, chose to bring many children into glory. And it was only right that He should make Jesus, through His suffering, a perfect leader, fit to bring them into their salvation.
In the Bible in Revelation 19:16 it says:
On His robe (Jesus) at His thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all Lords.
In the Bible in John 11:25-26 Jesus says:
“I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in Me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in Me and believes in Me will never ever die. Do you believe this?”
Like Kris and Kell, this Easter we should spend time thinking about what Jesus did for us on the cross, and celebrating His victory over sin and death, and thanking Him for the gift of forgiveness and eternal life! If you have never given your life to Jesus, please do it now! It is the only life worth living!
Report to the grandmother:
- At the travel agency – God has a good plan for us. Jeremiah 29:11
- Florida – God is watching over us, we do not need to be fearful. Psalms 23
- Wisconsin – Temptations. I Corinthians 10:13, Proverbs 14:12, I John 1:9
- Minnesota – Never take your eyes off Jesus. Matthew 14:22-33
- Kentucky – God’s Word (the Bible) is the truth! John 17:17
- Louisianna – Choose Heaven and the Tree of Life. Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 21:27 thru 22:5
- Illinois – God is in control. Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 8:28-30, Proverbs 16:9
- New Mexico – God is our place of safety. Psalms 46:1-3, Psalms 91:1-2, Psalms 18:1-2, John 14:1-3
- Alabama – Training for heaven. I Peter 1:18-21, I John 3:2-3, Ephesians 5:1-2, I Peter 2:21, II Timothy 4:6-8
- Georgia – Sin erodes a person’s life and brings death. Galatians 5:19-21, Romans 3:22-25a
- Texas – Jesus offers abundant life. John 10:10, Mark 12:29-31.
- Kansas – Humans are filled with hatred and evil. Genesis 8:21-22, Romans 3:21-25a.
- South Carolina – Reminder of the Crucifixion. Isaiah 53:3-9
- Arkansas – Jesus is Crowned with Glory and Honor. Hebrews 2:9-10, Revelation 19:16, John 11:25-26,