Finding Beauty After Pain

By Heather Bright

If ever a time of year feels fresh and new, it is the first days of Spring. Somehow, the cold days of winter always seem to last a lifetime, and the sunshine and beauty of a new season never come soon enough. Inevitably, though, the sun shines longer and we start to hear the birds singing again. If every day was Spring, we probably wouldn’t appreciate the song from a bird or the breeze coming through a bedroom window. Difficult seasons have the opportunity to bring new beginnings, and this time of year is the perfect reminder of this.

As a person of faith, Spring means the remembrance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ; it’s the ultimate story of beauty after pain. The observance of Easter is only a brief celebration of a significant truth that I remember all year long: there is always hope, even in the darkest moments of life. Even though I can’t fully wrap my mind around the reality that, after three days, death was reversed and Jesus came back to life, I choose to believe it. In this world that’s filled with pain and challenges, recognizing a power that is greater than my own keeps me going during seasons of life that are dark and long.

It’s been exactly one year since the man who was my husband for 17 years moved out of our home to start a life with someone else. One year ago, my world was dark and lonely, without much hope of ever seeing fresh light again. My faith was put to the test as I wrestled between truths that I couldn’t see but chose to believe and facts that caused an emotional and physical pain that were right in front of me. Since I wasn’t there during the final breaths of Jesus, I don’t know exactly how the crowd responded or what they said, but I can imagine the thoughts that tested their faith in a new way. Just when it seemed like all hope was lost, and everything they’d heard for the past three years might be untrue, a power unlike anything we can explain brought Jesus back to life. Suddenly, the dark days that preceded his resurrection weren’t the focus. New life meant hope for the future.

It took more than three days for me to begin to see and experience light and joy again after my family was torn apart; however, the hope of an eventual new beginning kept me pushing forward for myself and my children. My faith that was being tried and tested became the power that strengthened me when darkness felt bigger than light. As we celebrate Easter at special church services and with fun egg hunts this week, let’s take the time to reflect on the truth that the power we celebrate is the same power and hope available to us today.