When You Have Lost Your Joy at Easter

Everyone is in the Easter holiday spirit.  It’s that time and season in which you bring out all of the spring décor and clothing.  As you rip into the closet or boxes in the basement, there you find tucked away in the corner is your child’s Easter basket.  Memories take you back to when you filled it to the brim with all sorts of goodies for your little children every year for the Easter holiday.  It looks disheveled and old now with colored shredded grass poking through the weaved basket.   As you gaze upon it, tears begin to flow.  Those were the happy days.  You didn’t have a child in crisis back then like you do now. 

Similar to the basket, you feel empty inside.  The joy you once had is now buried deep down and nothing seems to resurrect it now.  In its place there is weariness, sorrow, anger, and loneliness.

That is how many parents feel during this Easter holiday. There is one who understands those emotions. Jesus also experienced great emotional turmoil and loneliness during the days of His crucifixion.  His own Heavenly Father looked away as Jesus hung on the cross.  Jesus, the Lamb of God, not only took on all the weight of sin from the world, He also took our pain, heartache, hurt, and hopelessness that you feel today.  Yes, He took it with Him to the grave.

The great news is that we need not live our days with struggle, stress, and worry.  He is ALIVE! He is our HOPE.  He is our DELIVERER. He is mighty to SAVE our teen in crisis.  He can heal the brokenness in your teen and he can also heal you.

He finished His mission on the cross.  Hallelujah!  He is still working on your teen’s life.  That’s right, He has not given up on them or us as parents.  Jesus was resurrected and now lives again.  Your teen’s life, in due time, will also be resurrected through Christ.  Keep praying.  Keep trusting.  Keep believing.  Your faith will be rewarded.

So get out that Easter basket and instead of putting candies and chocolates in it, put prayers of hope in there for your teen. Use scriptures, quotes, song lyrics, and poems.  Add one each day to encourage yourself.  And when your teen asks you what is in that Easter basket, you tell them about God’s love for them and how you are praying for them.

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.

Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

John 14:27 NIV