Let me just start today by saying that today, in my neck of the woods, it is rainy and grey and I am having trouble mustering up much motivation to write. I’d much rather curl up on the couch and listen to the rain while reading…or sleeping. Still I really feel I need to write what is on my heart today.

As Easter has come to a close and we all have went back to our daily routines, I can’t help but wonder how many of us are already acting as though we forget what we just celebrated 2 days ago. You may be feeling as though the world is against you. Maybe things are not good at home or maybe not going well at work. Maybe something you’re waiting for gets pushed back even further and you don’t know if you can stand it any longer. Maybe you’ve experienced a great deal of loss lately. It could be that you’re just not sure you can handle one more snowy day or maybe you’re praying for just one more day off. Whatever the case may be, we as humans tend to focus on ourselves and our surroundings. We have trouble waiting for the future. We have trouble getting over the past. We build up feelings of hurt, sadness, weariness, confusion, or even simply boredom. Sometimes we can feel low from a lack of something happening in our lives, sometimes from too many things happening. For a lot of us, Easter is a day of celebrating the best thing that ever happened in the history of the world. Jesus died for us. Yet 2 days later we are grumbling and complaining while trying to muddle through our day. We know Jesus loves us and we are thankful but are we acting as we should? Now before you think I am accusing some of you of acting simply horrible just a few days after Resurrection Sunday, let me tell you how my Easter Sunday unfolded.

My husband loves winter, he loves the snow a lot. I on the other hand would rather have warm weather so I can wear my flip flops. Some people, like myself, need a little sunshine to get them through the winter. My yearning for spring led me to purchase a bright yellow dress online as an attempt to make it through a couple more months of inclement weather (and to add something besides blue and black to my wardrobe). I planned on wearing the dress for Easter and possibly my step son’s wedding this summer because I really liked the style and was excited for spring/summer festivities. When I received it in the mail and tried it on a few times it fit well and looked nice. I had it all planned out. I was wearing my amber jewelry, my white sweater, and I bought nail polish to match my dress. My husband would match in the tie we bought him to wear with his suit. We were ready for Easter.

When Easter morning arrived we rushed around trying to make it to the early service on time and in the midst of the hurriedness and lack of sleep we encountered a problem. My yellow dress that we planned on everything matching decided that the zipper no longer needed to do its job and before I could even wear it for the first time, it was broken. I thought maybe I could fix it later. So I put on last year’s dress and we rushed off to church. I tried not to think about the dress at all during the service and for the most part succeeded but that was while I still had hope of wearing it later. The service was great and we enjoyed singing old hymns in the choir. Afterwards we rushed home to prepare some food for dinner later and to take a look at the dress. As I began to look over it I realized more and more that I couldn’t fix it and sorrow washed over me. That sounds really dramatic for a dress doesn’t it? The fact that I felt sorrowful for a dress made me feel silly and the fact that I was actually upset enough to cry about it on Easter Sunday was even more ridiculous to me. I was mad the zipper broke and mad at myself for being upset on Easter. Jesus died to take away my sin and I’m mad that I can’t wear a yellow dress. My patient and sweet husband kept telling me it was understandable to be disappointed and he kept pointing out to me that my nail polish and his tie still matched the dress I was wearing, last year’s dress. At first I did not care that I still matched, I had wanted to wear yellow but luckily it was time to go back to church and it was clear I definitely needed some church.

After arriving at church a 2nd time I was overcome with emotion for what Easter means, Jesus giving his life to save mine. I enjoyed singing my heart out to Jesus and hearing the great message our pastor gave. I made the choice to be blessed by the service and see the blessings around me despite the days earlier events. I had all but forgot about the morning’s disappointment until we were on our way to my brother’s house for dinner. We were almost there and I was in mid sentence telling my husband how happy I’ll be to see my family, especially the babies, when a truck decided to come into our lane and force us halfway off the road. My husband is a great driver and he simply slowed down and continued driving. We really were in no danger, it happened in a way that we were able to move over easily without risking any contact. Still I could feel myself tense up. I finally said to my husband “Satan is really trying to make me upset on Easter!”

How true those words are! We forget sometimes that the devil is constantly trying to upset us. He wants us to be sad, mad, and discouraged. He wants to make us feel hopeless and alone. He knows that if he plays his cards right, he can make us feel bad about ourselves even in the midst of a beautiful Easter Sunday full of blessings. So if you’re feeling down a few days after Easter and you’re wondering how you could lose sight of Jesus on the cross so quickly remember that it is the devil’s job to destroy you and he will try harder and harder the more time you spend with God. Don’t let the devil keep you down. God loves you and has a plan for your life and if you keep your eyes fixed on Him, the devil cannot steal your joy. He can never take away God’s love and grace. I am so thankful for that!

So whether you had a rough start to Sunday morning or life is just not going right at the moment, rest assured in the fact that Jesus lives today and he came to redeem us! The devil can use the littlest things to distract us from the cross. Don’t let the devil steal any part of your day, any part of your life! Our lives were meant to be lived to the fullest and to glorify God!

My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart -Proverbs 3:1

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full -John 10:10