Mary Magdalene. I'm sitting in the San Antonio airport and I feel like Mary Magdalene.
After Jesus was crucified, Mary visited the tomb of which Jesus was laid. She saw that there was no body and she stood outside the tomb weeping. 2 angels sat where the body of Jesus had lain and asked her why she was crying.
"Because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid him"
with this, she turns and sees Jesus standing in front of her.
BUT SHE DOESN'T RECOGNIZE HIM
Jesus asks her "Whom are you seeking?"
and she replies (mistaking Him as a gardener) "Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away"
then Jesus simply says "Mary"
and Mary recognizes and rushes to Jesus in that moment.
And I wonder how many times I have mistaken Jesus for a gardener. How many times have I yearned and spent hours seeking help from The Lord. I ask him 'where are you?' and 'why has this happened'. I ask him why He hasnt shown up yet. These past few months have been pretty rough and so many times I have been Mary, longing to be lifted out of these circumstances.
I have been Mary, staring at Jesus in the face and wondering where He is.
Then he calls "Mandy"
and in that moment I recognize that Hes been right in front of me all along. In that split second between when I first recognize His hand in my life and when I rush towards Him, everything falls together beautifully orchestrated. I think back to all those moments of desperation and disappointment and see that I had to get to those places of brokenness before I could fully grasp the immense need I have to be redeemed. He simply says my NAME. Calls me back. Opens my eyes.
It doesnt mean my life all of a sudden gets extremely easy and all my troubles are gone, often times it means that things get even more difficult. Though I do gain perspective on where I am and how I got there. It gives me moments of "OH you WERE listening"
Ive fallen head over heels with those moments.
SO i feel very much like Mary Magdalene. Mandolyn Mackey. We share the same initials. Maybe that means something 🙂
