A Balancing Act

What a tangle of emotions filled the hearts of the two Mary’s that morning. "So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy..."

 How can one be filled with fear and great joy at the same time? The earthquake stirred up the fear and they clung to each other as the ground shook. Did they feel the vibrations under their feet?  What about the angel who appeared and rolled away the stone? I think I might be shaking in my shoes also.

Afraid yet filled with joy. I can think of lots of things that might cause this dual set of warring feelings.  Like the season when you were expecting an addition to the family; the angst of adding another mouth to feed coupled with the sheer delight of seeing your newborn son or daughter—fear yet joy.

The new job in a faraway land - fear yet joy.  The marriage proposal - fear yet joy. It seems that everything we face and look forward too, every milestone and high point in life has the element of fear yet joy. It is through these milestones we can and should cling to the words in verse 20. "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." 

Matthew 28:8-20