Life relentlessly throws moments of darkness our way. A phone call delivers unsettling news, anxieties about the future creep in, and headlines scream of global pain. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed, to have a sense of well-being completely unravel.
But within the story of Easter lies a powerful, simple truth: “Give it some time. Give it three days.” Change is a constant, and even from the depths of despair, something new can emerge. Hope isn’t a denial of suffering, but a recognition that it doesn’t have the final word.
I recall a story, perhaps more legend than fact, of a woman leaving church on Easter Monday. She noticed an older woman, plainly dressed and selling flowers on the steps, making a humble living. Despite her circumstances, the flower seller radiated an unexpected joy.
Curious, the woman stopped to speak with her. The flower seller openly acknowledged her hardships, yet her spirit was undeniably lifted by the recent Easter celebration. She had witnessed the transformation of unimaginable pain – Good Friday – into the astonishing mystery of the Resurrection. Her advice was simple: “Whatever has happened to you, just wait three days.”
It’s striking that the Gospels consistently portray women as the first witnesses to both the horror of the crucifixion and the miracle of the empty tomb. While the disciples remained hidden, these women stayed, enduring the unimaginable. They were present at the very beginning and the very end.
They were the ones who discovered the stone rolled away, who received the angel’s message of resurrection, and were tasked with sharing the news. In the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene encounters the risen Jesus, initially failing to recognize him until he speaks her name – a profoundly intimate moment of recognition and grace.
Hearing the Easter story year after year can feel heavy, a re-enactment of sorrow. Yet, within that sorrow lies a vital lesson. We *will* experience pain and witness suffering; it’s unavoidable. The key isn’t to escape it, but to acknowledge it, to learn from it, and to allow it to shape us.
As one teacher eloquently stated, we grow through love and suffering. Recognizing our own pain, and the pain of the world, opens us to a deeper truth. There is a profound beauty waiting on the other side of hardship, a wonder that can only be revealed with time.
What’s required isn’t grand action, but simple patience. A walk in nature, quiet meditation, disconnecting from the constant noise, a conversation with a trusted friend, or even just losing yourself in a book. Whatever brings you stillness.
Just wait. Allow a few days to pass. No one can predict what you might discover, what new perspective might emerge. Wait three days, and be open to the possibility of transformation.
