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Spring flowers, colored eggs, and chocolate.

Easter baskets. Beautiful dresses. Sunrise services.

Resurrection!

What’s not to love about Easter?

Memories.

For me there are memories and they aren’t pleasant.

I sat basking in the beauty of our sunrise service, awed by the sparkling river, the sky dolloped with clouds and intricate color changes. I was trying to focus on the music but my thoughts were splattered with woes of Easters past.

Breakdowns, scarring words, abuse, separation, deception, and rejection by those I thought I could trust.

I don’t know why these things happened around Easter, it is not a specific date each year. They happened years apart, over many years, a long time ago.

So why can’t my brain forget?

I’m not tormented, angry or bitter, it’s just these memories are so tied to Easter and they invade my thoughts when I’d like to focus on something else.

But isn’t this just like Easter? There is the family fun, beautiful baskets, joyous meals. And Jesus coming forth from the grave in victory to live and to give us life.

Easter is tainted too…by horrid stuff from the past Thursday and Friday.

Rejection.

Beatings.

Blood.

Crucifixion.

Heartbreak and pain.

I’m in no way elevating my painful memories from the past to the pain and suffering Jesus endured to give us forgiveness of sin and eternal life,.

But I am reminded that the hurt, the pain, the grief, was not the end of the story.

Not for me. Not for Jesus. Not for you.

Abuse was awful. It seemed to escalate at holiday times, especially Easter in my life, but I was set free.

I was given new life, free from abuse. Freedom which began at Easter because Jesus chose the suffering and pain at the cross. I was given new life, free to live and be all I was meant to be. Freedom which began when the stone was rolled away and Jesus walked away from the grave.

I was given new life, eternal life. This new life and eternal life is a free gift for each of us.

I’m hoping your Easter isn’t tainted with hurt from the past, but if it is, I want to remind you that you don’t need to be Weary by Wednesday. Jesus has redeemed the hurt and the pain, we can leave it in the grave and move on.

I also want to remind you, and myself, that remembering the hurt doesn’t need to give us Easter Blues.

Painful memories from the past can bless us as we see how far we have come.

The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.”

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. (Matthew 28:5-8)

Run away, leave your sorrows at the grave, find the joy in the Resurrection.

I hope you had a wonderful Easter. Thanks for sharing your Wednesday with me. I would be humbled to pray with you anytime.