There are days that feel like the rain never ends and the clouds will not roll away. We have a sense that we are in the comic strip where the cloud looms overhead and it is just on us. But not all days will be like that. It doesn’t continue like this forever. It is the season of Easter and Sunday is coming.
During Easter, so many Christians concentrate on the resurrection, the stone rolled away, the empty tomb. But in order to get there, death had to happen. In order for there to be a resurrection day, there had to be a crucifixion. Jesus had to die. He was gone, life was in him no more. One that was loved and followed and adored died. For those that loved him, it was a time of loss and deep despair. Easter is first about death before it can be about life. Thankfully, that was not the end. Friday brought a thick darkness but Sunday’s light would overcome.
What does that mean for those of us that grieve? Easter reminds us of several important lessons we should carry with us:
–We are not alone in our grief. God understands what loss means. He understands our heartache. He understands our pain and despair. He walks with us through our darkest times.
–We may go through many dark Fridays. When someone we love so much has died, we often find we relive that experience…with all of the pain and sorrow. We relive the loss and the wound is as fresh as the day our loved one left us.
–Sunday is coming. In the Christian faith, Good Friday is remembered as a day of death, of crucifixion, of darkness. Holy Saturday is a day of reflection, mourning, and waiting. Sunday is celebrated for the resurrection of Jesus. He overcame death and the grave so that we would have life now and for eternity. Sunday is a time of celebration and excitement and thanksgiving. Friday’s darkness is overcome with Sunday’s victory. In faith, we are grateful that death is overcome because it gives us hope of something beyond this end. It gives us a glimpse of light in an otherwise weighty, smothering darkness. It is as if we are in a very dark room, so dark we cannot see our own hand in front of our face, and someone lights a match. It is all that is needed to bring an overwhelming brightness to a very dark circumstance. Friday does not have the final say. There is a light in the darkness. It is a hope that cannot be explained, but is so deep it cannot be denied.
–There are celebrations. There will be days when the sun will shine and we will have the opportunity to celebrate the life we have been given. While life will not be the same ever again, it will go on and there will be celebrations. There are times when we will have a smile on our face, a joy in our heart, and an extra boost in our steps. There will be times when we clap and sing and celebrate. It may not be today…but Sunday is coming. Easter reminds us that while we mourn, there is a glimpse in the darkness. Just open your eyes a little…and let the light in.
Blessings,
Brad Mitchell
Aftercare Coordinator
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