“By his power God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also” 
1 Corinthians 6:14

This weekend millions of Christians around the world will celebrate Easter, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We know the story. Jesus was arrested, crucified and rose from the dead three days later. But many of us fail to see the resurrection of Jesus is also our resurrection. It’s a blueprint for the tragedies and struggles we face and how we come out the other side risen and reborn.

Jesus and his disciples went through three stages during the Easter season. Good Friday on day one was filled with pain, suffering and agony. Holy Saturday on day two was filled with deep loss, self-doubt, confusion and chaos. Easter Sunday on day three was filled with joy, hope, light, freedom and victory.

Someday you too, will experience a traumatic event. It’s a fact of life. But, you have a choice. You can choose to move through these same life cycles following the path of Jesus and become a new person shining with light, love and wisdom. When you are beaten, betrayed and nailed to your cross, have faith you will resurrect into a more powerful, loving and beautiful being.

Stage One: Your Good Friday
Complete and utter devastation. Unbearable pain consumes your entire body. The bomb drops hard exploding your life into thousands of pieces. A tragic event just turned your world upside down dragging your heart through the shredder. Maybe a loved one died, you’re suffering from chronic illness, your marriage falls apart, or you lost your job. Whatever it is for you, this pain and agony is real altering your life forever.

Once Jesus knew the devasting fate before him, he gathered with his disciples for one last supper. He knew he couldn’t get through it on his own. One of the most important things you need in the midst of your pain is support from those who love you. Call a friend, your pastor or a spiritual mentor. These people are your first response team to your 911 calls for help. Talking to someone you trust alleviates some pain while guiding you towards the path of healing.

When grief and agony pounds through your entire body bringing you down on your knees, do what Jesus did in Gethsemane. Reach out to God in prayer. Affirm His power knowing He can do anything. Tell Him your heart’s desires and what you want to happen. Then trust, surrendering the outcome to God’s will. It may not be the outcome you want, but God will give you the outcome you need.

Stage Two: Your Holy Saturday
Reality strikes. The truth of your tragedy seeps into your bones creating inner confusion and chaos. The future planned in your heart goes up in flames leaving you with the ashes of broken dreams. Filled with shock and delusion, your life quickly spirals into a deep, dark hole.

Once you hit bottom, you reach a turning point. You can choose to allow your circumstances to hurt or transform you. You can become a victim living in anger, resentment or denial. Or, you could opt for the healing path. Healing takes you straight through the pain, forcing you to confront the truth. But, it ultimately brings you to freedom.

Living in the state of darkness is a great teacher. In order to truly understand the light, one must walk in the shadows. By facing the darkness, your healing begins allowing peace into your heart. The layers of the ego peel away one by one seeing your true self. Slowly over time, your spirit awakens flowing in harmony with God.

You must have faith God will see you through. He loves you, cares for you and wants to see you grow from your experiences. Release your worries believing everything happens for a reason. This is all part of a bigger plan with everything falling into place as it’s meant.

Stage Three: Your Easter Sunday
Easter is the day of hope, joy and victory as the beautiful person inside of you rises from the deadness within. You’ll be transformed and renewed with an open heart giving more love and compassion to the world. A deep reservoir of inner strength, peace and wisdom shines through your spirit. You have a purpose for walking this earth just like Jesus did. And on this day, your purpose becomes clear while understanding the reason for your suffering. This is your time to embody who you really are and do the work you are meant to do.

If God raised Jesus from the dead, then no situation in your life is hopeless. Remember, anything is possible with God. Easter proved God brings the good out of any bad situation. He did it for Jesus and He will do it for you.

If you are experiencing your own Easter story filled with pain, doubt and confusion, I hope you follow path of Jesus. Believe you’ll discover your true self becoming a beacon of great light to shine upon the world. This journey is tumultuous but when you suffer, remain hopeful that brighter days will come. Venture on with faith, vision and a higher purpose.

When you are suffering deeply, may you find grace and healing. When you’re in the depths of despair and darkness, I pray for your light and inner strength. When you become discouraged and angry, may you see the reason for your suffering and grow stronger from it. When you feel lonely and scared, may you reach out to others and find love. I hope you continue to move through the days of pain and confusion allowing your courageous spirit to carry you through. And I pray your Easter story ends with a peaceful resurrection learning to love the beautiful person existing deeply within your heart and soul.