Ashley Beach-Author and Storyteller

My second book, Beauty Redeemed, came out 2 years ago this week. It was the first –and only– one of my season-based books to release on it’s coordinating equinox/solstice, so it was an exciting time to have it release during the spring equinox 2 years ago. Ironically, my fourth book/fall book just released last week, so it ended up releasing around the spring equinox as well :).

Easter is early this year and it relates so well to the story of my second book. I based my second book on the Greek myth about Hades and Persephone, and some may think it strange to base a Christian book on a Greek myth, but really, myths, fables, fairytales, they are all ways to tell a greater story or lesson to the masses. Jesus taught using stories all the time as a way to relate a certain lesson he was trying to convey to the large crowds. When his disciples would later ask him what the parables meant, he would lovingly and patiently explain his meaning behind the story, but, like many of us, the deeper meaning was lost on even his closest friends who were with him all the time. I picked the stories I did to base my books on because I saw the deeper redemption story woven into the stories and saw them as a means to share the Gospel with both believers and non-believers. As I said, Beauty Redeemed was based on Hades and Persephone as well as Swan Lake and the reason I chose these stories for this spring book was because of the battle between dark and light that existed in both stories. (You can check out my previous posts that go more into the stories behind Beauty Redeemed).

As Easter approaches, I have been thinking a lot about my second book. If you couldn’t guess, the theme of redemption runs deep throughout this story and I love the story of hope God gave me to write within this books pages, as I am with all of my books. But, the concept of redemption can be a hard one to grasp. The characters in the story struggle a lot with feeling worthy of redemption. Guilt and shame hold them captive and keep them from experiencing the beauty and freedom of redemption that the Spring realm is meant to emulate. You see the main female character struggle with her ties to darkness and living under the pressures of being a princess in the Spring realm and kingdom of light. Circumstances put her in a manor house that is a dwelling place in the forest of the Spring realm that brings one’s deepest and darkest desires to life and though the occupants can willingly leave, many don’t, either because they feel hopelessly trapped and resign themselves to their fate, or they see no need to leave the gilded, yet unfulfilling, halls of the manor house. The main character also ends up in the Dark Lord’s realm where she believes she’ll never escape. On the flip side, the main male character has been a son of darkness his entire life, and though he dreams of living in the kingdom of light and longs to be a part of that world, the light dwellers judge and condemn him for being a darkling, reinstilling the fact that he will never be a part of that world. In the end, both characters find their paths to redemption.

I wonder how many of us as we prepare for Easter and are reminded of our own redemption stories found in Christ’s death and resurrection are living life fully in those redemptive stories. Some of us may be so racked with guilt and shame about choices we’ve made or things that have happened to us that we don’t feel Christ would ever truly save us. Surely He came for someone else. Not me. I’m too dirty to be saved. I’m unclean. He couldn’t possibly love me if He knew what I had done; what I have given into. The Gospel is a word a that means good news, and it’s good news because Christ did in fact come for you and for me. His love extends far beyond anything we’ve ever done or said and nothing we ever do can ever put us out of His reach. He is our beloved Prince who has come to rescue His bride from the depths of her sins and sorrows and bring her home to His kingdom of Light and Love. His beloved was sentenced to an unpardonable death because of her actions, and only the blood of one who loves her enough to take her place can set her free. Julianna is set free from the manor house and from the Dark realm because someone who loved her very much covered a crystal with his blood and gave it to her, taking her place in the Dark realm, so she could be set free. However, it wasn’t enough. At the end of the story when Julianna is struggling between staying in the Dark realm or stepping into her freedom in the kingdom of light, the Mage’s Son reminds her, and everyone around them, of the crimson line that covers the veil and has already set her free. She needs only to believe and step out into her freedom. That line also grants Darien passage out of the Dark realm, and he is given a high position of honor in the Spring realm, a beautiful picture of the new life granted to us when we accept Christ’s gift of redemption.

Many of us may have accepted that redemption story and stepped out of the darkness and into the light. But, how many of us still hold onto the scars our choices or circumstances left behind? How many of us believe and know we are Redeemed, but still carry the wounds of all those years. We may have accepted Christ’s sacrificial gift that granted us passage from the realm of death, but continue to hold onto the mistakes of our past. Sometimes we go back to those old familiar places, searching for solace and appeasement. Something to make us feel better and assuage our guilt. When Jesus came to earth, He came to seek and to save the lost. One of the biggest acts of mercy He shared with those who came to Him was the healing He brought to their brokenness. He never turned anyone away when they came to be healed by Him. He was filled with compassion for each and every person, and even when they were considered unclean because they were lepers or diseased or dead, or prostitutes or tax collectors or adulterers, Jesus sat with them and talked with them and brought them healing. As many physical ailments as he healed, Jesus brought a deeper healing that few could understand. He brought a spiritual healing that reached into the depths of their souls and let them know that they had truly and completely been healed–heart, soul, body, and mind. If you have accepted His redemptive gift of grace, have you allowed Him to heal your wounded soul as well, or are you still holding on to your hurts and wounds?

Redemption comes in many forms. For some it is a blinding light on the Damascus road that in turn opens one’s spiritual eyes to the seriousness of their fate and the place of darkness and lostness they are in. For some, it is a slow calling and pursuing of one’s heart until one is finally ready to see and accept that gracious gift. For some, it comes at a young age and they are surrounded by it their whole lives and don’t have the night and day transformation story–but that doesn’t mean they don’t have to work just as hard to stay with their faith and not be lured off the path. For some, you’ve given your heart over to Jesus and served Him for many years, but you wandered far from His presence and ended up in the manor house of your desires or in the realm of darkness and death and aren’t sure how to get back–or if you can get back. Maybe for some, it’s different versions of these redemption stories that take place at different points in their lives.

Let me reassure you this Easter season as we celebrate and remember the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Christ loves you and He loves me. He came to earth to take my place and pay the price of death that I could not pay, and that applies to you too. It doesn’t matter when you come to that redemption story in your life, as long as you come to it before you die. It doesn’t matter how far you’ve fallen or how far you’ve gone, He still loves you and is waiting for you to come home. He conquered death for you. He conquered Satan and all his dark forces for you. Your redemptive healing is waiting for you and you can experience it today, free of charge. You need only accept the gift He gave you with His blood that was poured out on Calvary’s tree 2,000 years ago. He has covered you with His blood and granted you passage out of the realm of darkness and death. Will you live in the light of that Redeeming Love this Easter?