When Things Seem Darkest

We are just coming out of celebrating Easter and every year I reflect on how the followers and disciples of Jesus must have felt between the crucifixion and the resurrection. Here they thought there beloved leader, the one that was destined to lead them to a new kingdom and a better tomorrow, was gone, leaving them with no hope. That Saturday had to be one of the worst days any of them had gone through in their life. There was no hope for them, the feeling of complete darkness and despair had to overwhelm them. But then Sunday came, ushering in something greater than what they had even hoped for. 

None of us will go through the trials that Jesus did, nor have a fraction of the impact on this world that He did. But we all go through events in our life that leave us feeling lost, hopeless, broken and defeated. I once was fired from my job, it led me to doing what I was better suited for. That time between losing my job and finding my next one was one of the worst feelings I've had in my life, but God had a different plan for me. Just when I felt at my lowest, He was ready to lift me up. Even the small daily challenges we face at work and at home are forming us into something better than we are today.

If you feel like you are going through a dark or challenging time, there is hope. First, there is something greater for you at the end of this darkness. Yes, you have to make it through the darkness, and it is hard and trying, but you will be in a better situation at the end of it. Second, no matter how you feel, you are never alone. God is with you, He knows the plan and where all of this is going, so lean on Him. I probably didn't at the time I lost my job, but looking back I can see Him right beside me the whole time. When things seem darkest, He is there.


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