It’s been a long, exhausting week.
Of course, the week before Spring Break is always a long week for those who work at a school.
After a nice morning, lunch, and a movie, I began to feel inexplicably discouraged this evening. Its cause is nothing I can put my finger on or name. I just feel discouraged.
Down.
Sad.
Overwhelmed.
Defeated.

I’m sure the exhaustion has something to do with it. Everything going on right now and in the upcoming days is playing a part, I’m sure.
But you know how it is. You get in a funk and you don’t know how you got there or how to get out.
Everything you’re feeling is legitimate, but you know you shouldn’t be dwelling on those thoughts and feelings. But you can’t help it.
What do you do?

I caught myself sitting in the recliner this evening and realized I was having a pity party. I was feeling so down and sorry for myself. I’m poor and pitiful and if people knew how tough I had it right now, they’d all feel sorry for me too.
How sad.

Then, I began to think about my Lord.
He was bruised, beaten, mocked, and crucified.
All His followers were discouraged, down sad, overwhelmed, defeated…and with good reason. Me? Not so much.
They didn’t understand all the times He had told them what must take place, so for 3 days, their lives were over. At least the lives they’d had for the past 3 years. They had given up everything to follow Jesus, and now what were they supposed to do?
Good old Peter told his buddies they could do what they wanted, but he was going fishing. He didn’t know what to do, so he went back to the last thing he had done before Jesus showed up and changed his whole world.
They were sad because they hadn’t listened and understood what Christ was saying.

But while they were sad, discouraged, defeated, overwhelmed, and down, a miracle happened.
Three days had passed and suddenly, it was Sunday.
You know the rest of the story. The stone was rolled away from the entrance of the tomb and Jesus walked out, triumphant over death and the grave. He showed Himself to Mary, the disciples going to Emmaus, and then to the ones hiding from the Jews, and He changed their whole lives once again.
He changed not only their lives, but ours as well.
Because of His death and resurrection, we have the promise of eternal life with Him.

So, yeah.
What did I have to be discouraged about again? Why was I wasting time feeling sorry for myself?
Because like the disciples, I wasn’t listening.
But even when I don’t listen, that doesn’t stop miracles from happening.

So, just in case you’re like me and feeling discouraged for no apparent reason, just remember that weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning.
The disciples wept and mourned for 3 days before the One they buried walked right into the middle of their sorrow and replaced it with a deep-seated joy and peace that no prison, king, powerful government, or death itself could shake.

That cure for discouragement that Christ gave the disciples is the same one He offers to you and me.
Jesus is still alive and well, on Easter and every other day of the year.
As the sun rises in a few hours, may it remind us of the One who robbed death of its sting and the grave of its victory. He has given us peace in our hearts and every reason in this world (and the next!) to be joyful. Through His suffering and death, we have abundant and everlasting life.

There in the ground His body lay. Light of the world by darkness slain, then bursting forth in glorious day, up from the grave He rose again! And as He stands in victory, sin’s curse has lost its grip on me, for I am His and He is mine, bought with the precious blood of Christ!

He’s alive!!
Happy Easter!