If you have ever had one, you know how all-consuming the pain can be. There are few things that can stop a woman in her tracks like a full-blown migraine. Of course, there are plenty of things that are all-consuming and do slow us down a lot. Like broken relationships, fear, rejection and the big one: any concern–no matter how small–for our children.
Through most of the challenges we face, even when we cannot smile or act as if we are okay, we do our best to keep going. (I may be a emotional mess at times, but seldom will I let my house become one!) Some physical or emotional pain can be pushed through; some pain, however, only intensifies when we try to push ourselves. (When I have a migraine, I don’t even care about the order of my house!)
Grief is like a migraine.
When any pain becomes so sever that you cannot function, you are wise to stop everything and give yourself some time to recover.
That is what the disciples did when Jesus died. Read through the end of the gospels and you will see how much of a mess they were; and why shouldn’t they be? All their hopes, dreams, beliefs and motives had just been crucified on that cross with the friend they were sure was about to become their king. Their future was now in shambles. Life had abruptly stopped for them.
When a migraine breaks, life is good.
Sometimes, after a migraine, a headache will linger but once it is over, life looks so beautiful. It is hard to imagine the pain again. In fact, the re-discovered ability to function is exhilarating. It’s like a beautiful sunny day after a fierce storm.
Like Easter, after a horrific crucification.
Grief doesn’t normally go away as completely as a migraine does; but it did for the disciples of Christ.
Can you imagine how they must have felt when Jesus suddenly appeared to them after they had witnessed His brutal death? Surely they were still trying to figure out how to go on, what they now believed, how they could have been so wrong… but now they had a whole new perspective on their circumstances.
Maybe life wasn’t turning out how they expected, maybe they weren’t prepared for such a devastation, but the fact that Jesus overcame death changed everything! In actuality, their dream wasn’t shattered; it was expanded. God’s plan was much bigger than their greatest expectation. The storm was over and the sun was absolutely beautiful!
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:38,39
It may be Friday, but Sunday’s coming!
This Easter, let us be mindful of how quickly life can change and let’s not give in to the worries that keep us from enjoying life or pursuing our dreams. Yes, there will be some challenges that stop us in our tracks and, when they do, let’s take some time to recover but let’s be careful not to allow them to destroy our hope. We may not know what our future holds, but we do know Who holds our future.
If you are suffering physical or emotional pain that is stopping you in your tracks, I encourage you to review the story of Easter (you can find it in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). May your “migraine” break quickly as you rest in God’s love and wait for His power to make all things beautiful in His time.
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Catrina Welch is an inspirational author and speaker whose passion is empowering women and girls to BE and LET BE. Her expertise as a cosmetologist, image consultant and Biblical life-coach, as well as her personal experiences with abandonment and grief make her message relatable to anyone dealing with rejection, betrayal or loss.
Her first book, footprints through the Sand: a consolidation of life-altering stories about loving and losing our Trisomy 18 baby is available on Amazon, or on her website. Autographed copies of all her books are available on her website at www.CatrinaWelch.com
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