Department Finding Faith Daily by Dr. Paul Irwin (NAPSA)—I remember a time when messages offaith truly came alive for me. It was a snowy Sunday and I realized that many would not be able to makeit to church because of the weather. As I walked up to the church entrance, I : €> g : passed the Easter lilies that had been so carefully placed along the sidewalk. They were shrouded Irwin in snow, with the flowers thrusting through a mantle of white into the morningair. And the thought dawned on me that the lilies were rising out of the snow and showing beauty and vigor in spite of their circumstances. They proclaimed a clear message that all of us, in spite of our problems, pain anddifficulties, can raise the triumphant shout of Easter throughout the year: Christ is Risen! Faith is all about the proclamation of the eternal presence of the living Christ, the daily experience of a living hope. And,like on Easter, any day can offer a restart for all Christians and a time when we are ready for something new in our lives. On that snowy day,the lilies were a profound symbolof resurrection for me. Like them, because of our risen Lord, we can bloom whereverweare. For more information, visit www.bibles.com. Dr. Irwin is president of the American Bible Society, a nonprofit, interdenominational organi- zation that works to transform lives by promoting personal engagement with the Holy Scriptures.
