Friday

A day to remember that what appears to be Hope dashed is actually Love poured out. Redemption is sneaky like that. -Jamie Wright

When I read this quote on twitter today I couldn't help but let out an audible Umm-hmmm of approval. The lesson of Good Friday is that just because the story has taken a dark and unexpected turn, it doesn't mean its over.

I can quickly list a dozen times in my life that have felt dark & hopeless.
The sting of that rejection.
The shock of that phone call.
The pain of that loss.
The disappointment of that choice.
The utter sadness of that death.
The sickening feeling accompanying that diagnosis.
The devastation of that betrayal.

Life often feels as if it can't be real, things aren't what we thought, we can't recover, this will be the end of us...

It is how I imagine the followers of Jesus felt on Good Friday after His brutal death. Frankly, it is how many of us feel on any given Friday...or Tuesday or Thursday...

But Hope and Joy are found in remembering that Friday was not the end of the story. It was a dramatic, necessary occurrence in order to pave the way for Sunday.

May we not get so overwhelmed in the midst of our stories that we forget to hold on. As believers, we know how gloriously and triumphantly the story ends. Don't get stuck on Friday...Sunday's coming!