Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene

"But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her." (John 20:11-18 ESV)

I can't help but have tears come to my eyes as I read this passage. Mary wept because she feared that her God had been taken away. She believed she lost her Jesus. She felt defeat. She just witnessed her Jesus being crucified days earlier. Not knowing, this must have seemed like the end. The darkness that must have been on them. To her, he was gone. She didn't even recognize that Jesus had been with her the whole time. He even spoke to her and she did not realize who he was. But when he called her name... "Mary", her eyes were opened to him. Think about that for a minute. Think about the overwhelming joy that must have come over her. Thinking her savior was dead, to find him standing in front of her again. She must have ran to him, hugged him. He must have wiped her tears. She loved him, he loved her. He tells her not to cling to him... it's like he was saying, you don't have to hold on to me so hard, I'm not going anywhere, I'm going to stay with you. I'm here, I'm with you. Go tell the others. It's going to be okay. I've defeated death.

I cannot help but relate this to my life. I just love how the first person he appeared to was a woman. Just like me. I have fears that God will not accept me. That He's going to abandon me. Like Mary, sometimes I don't see Him in my life. When in reality he's right beside me. To hear him call my name, "Emilie". And know he's been there the whole time, and that he is never going to leave me. How the call of my name, opened my eyes to his goodness.

Ah the bible is so good.