Yesterday it was my turn to write the daily devotion over at Blessed Is She.net. Being Easter Sunday, it was a day of joy and celebration. But what about when you are going through a difficult situation and the arrival of  Easter does not feel like a joyous time?

This past month my heart has been heavy thinking about numerous friends who are enduring difficult situations right now – heavy crosses, illness, the loss of loved ones, etc. I keep thinking back to the past two Easters when Brian was fighting cancer. I distinctly remember being at Mass on Easter morning and just not feeling the joy of Easter. Instead, my heart was heavy with concern about Brian and his health. Lent was not over for us. We had to keep living it for many more months. It was a bittersweet reminder that although Christ has triumphed over death, we are not exempt from the seasons in our lives when we must carry heavy crosses.

This was on my mind when I wrote in the devotion:

Each day God calls us to never be the same. Consider the flowers of spring. They cannot remain in the dark soil forever. They must grow and push their way through the earth to lift their heads to the sun. We, too, grow and push ourselves towards the Son. This is especially true during the moments when we feel suffocated and buried by difficult situations in life. God calls us to turn our eyes back to Him and gaze upon the light of His love. That same love that conquered death, can conquer our fears, doubts and heartache. His love brings new life and gives us the strength to grow and blossom.

(Read the whole devotion here.)

During those dark days, that is where I found my hope – in the light of the Son. It’s easier for me to understand that in retrospect but it is something I must continue to practice with the current smaller crosses of life.

So if you are going through a difficult time and you are not feeling very joyful, don’t be too hard on yourself. Know that Our Lord understands your pain intimately. He himself  cried out, “Father, why have you abandoned me?” Luckily you don’t have to “feel” joyful in order to trust in God. Eventually, the pain lessens and gives way to the peace of knowing that God is holding you close and carrying you when you can no longer walk.

This week I’ll also be especially praying for you and whatever cross you are carrying. If you’d like for me to pray for you by name, feel free to leave a comment or email me. May God give you peace and strength.

With love,

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