Good morning! Today’s devotion has been written by our guest writer Dora Lozano. Please enjoy and have a wonderful day.

“…but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look in to the
tomb and saw two angels in white seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head
and the other at the foot. They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have
taken my Lord away” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” – John 20:11-13 (NIV)

Do any of you identify with the grief of Mary Magdalene in the story above? Mary was
deeply traumatized by the brutal death of Jesus. I imagine that she made the trip to the
tomb of Jesus just to be close to him, only to find that the tomb was empty.

I can identify with Mary’s grief. There have been times in my life when I have managed
to position myself so far from Jesus that it felt like He was gone. I made bad decisions and engaged in behaviors that drove a wedge between us. The grief I felt was a direct
result of being out of relationship with Him. Our intimacy had been severed and I was
busy doing life on my own without the covering and direction of my King.

I chose to believe and trust in the humans around me rather than Jesus. I kept giving myself away, performing, protecting, doing, serving and making my life seem as perfect as I painted it for all to see. I was a walking case of spiritual malnourishment. This is why six years ago, I rededicated my life to Christ and committed to becoming a true follower of Christ.

Today my relationship with Christ is deeply embedded in my nature. I have an intimacy
with Jesus that is unlike any other relationship I have had or ever will have in my life. Jesus knows everything about me, even things I don’t know about myself. He knows the following not only about me, but you too:

• The number of hairs on your head. (Luke 12:7)
• What will happen in our lives. (Psalm 139:16)
• Our future success. (Deuteronomy 28:8)
• Where we are, where we will go and what we will say and do. (Psalm 139:1-12)

Mary understood that Jesus knew her intimate details, He never judged her and He loved her unconditionally. He never left Mary and He has not left us. If you are feeling alone today, reach out to Jesus and ask Him for his assurance and to wrap you in His
arms of comfort.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, Forgive us for failing to recognize how valuable our relationship is with you. We thank you for knowing all of our details and loving us anyway. Reignite the passion in our hearts for intimacy with you. Let our thirst for relationship with you be refreshed in the early hours of the morning or late in the evening when things are quiet and we can focus on you. Speak to our hearts and minds, we want to know our next steps and desire your divine direction. Let the Holy Bible be a lamp to our feet and a light for our path. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Dora’s Biography

Dora Lozano is a faithful follower of Christ living out her faith daily. Dora is the mother of two amazing children. The eldest is in their junior year at university. The youngest is heading in to their sophomore year of high school. Dora has spent twenty-nine years working in the California Community College system. Currently, Dora is an academic counselor for foster youth and homeless youth at a community college in Southern California. Dora’s personal mission statement is to “Love God, Do Good and Serve Others”. Dora lives out her mission through her work and in her faith community where she serves on the usher team. Dora enjoys spending time with her children and her sweet puppy dog. As a family they enjoy being loud and silly, listening to Korean pop music, taking road trips, making popcorn and watching movies. Dora is honored to be a guest contributor on the devotional for Mary E. White Ministries.

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Bible Reference: http://www.biblegateway.com

Devotion Written By: Dora Lozano

Photo Credit: Dora Lozano

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