My Mom grabbed my hand. “Honey, honey. Don’t eat that.”

I halted my chewing and gave her a look of shock.

What could have rattled her so much? When she came into my room, I was at my desk following my morning routine: the screen reader read Psalm 34 to me, I delighted in God’s Words while I munched on my morning apple.

I noticed it was softer than its usual juicy, crispy texture. But focused on what I was listening to, I didn’t stop to analyze it.

Then my stomach churned a bit when my mom pointed out that I was eating a rotten, really rotten apple.

But wait a minute! Don’t for a moment feel sorry for this blind chica. That’s because you’ve done the very same thing.

There you are, following your own daily routine in life, carrying God’s promises in your heart. And in your mind, you have engraved His instructions, the ways He leads, and the solutions He brings.

But then the nightly news comes on. The world looks black. Even the view of our own world brings gloom. Without realizing it, we take bites of stress. We dig our teeth into reminders of past failures and blend them with today’s pain. Before we know it, we munch on that bad mush of worry and fear. No wonder we’re taking Maalox to soothe the emotional indigestion that burns during sleepless nights.

Been there? God knows we all have. So we need to change all that. Toss that rotten apple of stress and fear in the garbage disposal of life. With passion dancing in our hearts and resolve singing in our soul, we can sink our teeth into the crisp, sweet apple of His promises.

The first step is to take a look, a closer view. The world may be rotten, but through Christ we’re righteous, and dare I say, just right. Even when the world is falling apart, we will not be shaken. Instead, sleep comes to our nights and peace fills our hearts because “Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his Foes.” (Psalm 112:6-8)

That’s what Easter is all about—a new beginning, a greater promise and a lovelier view of life–steadfast, triumphant and secure. They give a delicious flavor to our days , one that delights our soul and paints our world with the color of hope.

Janet Eckles