This Easter have your own garden party, George Bev Shea 104

What a time of worship we can enjoy this weekend. Spring is late here in northern Illinois, but I have enjoyed the gardens from other places. The garden tomb in Jerusalem is quite a setting to celebrate the works, words, death, burial and Resurrection of Jesus with his finished work for our salvation accomplished. Maybe we don't have a beautiful place to worship, but we have the Scriptures and the Lord to make where we are a beautiful place to celebrate this wonderful holiday we call Easter. If you can visit a Bible believing church, and worship with fellow believers in your area.
Get up early and read one of the gospel accounts and listen to Christian music playing softly in the background.
Place yourself there where Jesus appeared to believers after the Resurrection.
Fellow shipping with Jesus by faith can make your worship as meaningful as any dynamic location on earth.
On Sunday if possible walk at a local trail or park, think on these things and make it sort of a stroll. My mind goes to the beautiful hymn, In the Garden by Charles Austin Miles
I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses
And the voice I hear falling on my ear
The Son of God discloses.
Refrain

And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

 The story of this hymn is given to us by Ken Osbeck who it was my privilege to study under him.
 One day in March, 1912, I was seated in the dark room, where I kept my photographic equipment and organ. I  drew my Bible toward me; it opened at my favorite chapter, John 20-whether by chance or inspiration let each  reader decide. That meeting of Jesus and Mary had lost none of its power to charm.

As I read it that day, I seemed to be part of the scene. I became a silent witness to that dramatic moment in  Mary's life, when she knelt before her Lord, and cried, "Rabboni!"

My hands were resting on the Bible while I stared at the light blue wall. As the light faded, I seemed to be
standing at the entrance of a garden, looking down a gently winding path, shaded by olive branches. A woman in white, with head bowed, hand clasping her throat, as if to choke back her sobs, walked slowly into the  shadows. It was Mary. As she came to the tomb, upon which she place her hand, she bent over to look in, and hurried away.

John, in flowing robe, appeared, looking at the tomb; then came Peter, who entered the tomb, followed slowly by John.

As they departed, Mary reappeared; leaning her head upon her arm at the tomb, she wept. Turning herself, she saw Jesus standing, so did I. I knew it was He. She knelt before Him, with arms outstretched and looking into His face cried "Rabboni!"

I awakened in full light, gripping the Bible, with muscles tense and nerves vibrating. Under the inspiration of this vision I wrote as quickly as the words could be formed the poem exactly as it has since appeared. That same evening I wrote the music.

Alan Jackson's rendition http://youtu.be/LW0WA8OSXZg

My favorite rendition George Beverly Shea http://youtu.be/vD__InNBezE
George is nearly 103 now amazing singing How Great Thou Art, note his wit
http://youtu.be/mdF1wR98OeE