julie martinblog: "were the whole realm of nature mine"

we were singing the song "the wondrous cross" on Easter Sunday morning, and when we got to the fourth verse, shockingly, i felt like i heard and understood the lyrics for the very first time.

were the whole realm of nature mine

that were an off'ring far too small

love so amazing, so divine

demands my soul, my life, my all.

how did i get to be almost 46 years old--having been raised in the church and having sung that song hundreds of times--and not realize what those lyrics are saying? it has always been one of my favorite hymns, too. i think it's that when we get to that verse, i am always so excited to sing the climactic last two lines, my mind is gearing up to make that grand, passionate proclamation, and so it just skips over the first two lines.

well, today was different. today, i believe that on His day of glory, Jesus wanted me to finally get it.

"were the whole realm of nature mine." that means if i owned every single part of God's creation--every type of flower, every color, petal shape, smell, root system; every kind of living thing, every single fish, every color, species, shape and size; every animal that flies, crawls, swims, slithers, scampers, prowls; every climate, habitat, ecosystem, weather pattern, mountain, desert, ocean, river, planet, star--if i owned all of this, it would be "an offering far too small" to present to God because His love is that big. His "love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul my life my all." All of this wouldn't be enough. Because of the greatness of His love, nothings short of my all is enough to offer Him.

the meaning of these lyrics is probably nothing new to everyone who knows this song, but for me, it was a new discovery this Easter. and it was a great one. one that enriched the whole day for me, the day when our joy and gratitude as believers explodes, as Christ burst forth, triumphant, from the grave!

some scenes from our day: