“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

At the end of Good Friday’s crucifixion Jesus is laid to rest in a tomb. Imagine what it must have been like for Mary and His followers who stood at the cross, and those, like Peter, who failed Jesus and fled.

Although Jesus told them about the Resurrection, they didn’t get it. All they saw was the suffering death of their Savior – an executed exhibition of rejection.

It’s hard to stand in that place betwixt and between our hopes and dreams when we don’t understand what’s going on around us. We may ask, ‘where are you, God?’ when crosses of suffering in our lives are too much for us to bear. We may lose hope.

We might stumble and fail as we follow Jesus along the Via Dolorosa. For Peter, imagine the anguish he must have felt denying Christ, not just once but THREE TIMES.

Not just dashed hopes, but deep doldrums of despairing failure.

Yet in those places betwixt and between, of questioning, between a rock and a hard place when we don’t see a way out and all is dark — there is hope. Jesus didn’t stay in that grave, He arose.

That’s what Easter is about: Resurrected Love, Resurrection Joy, Resurrection Hope.

Hope that is a gift of God. Hope packaged with grace to keep us standing like Mary at the foot of the cross. Hope wrapped with mercy and forgiveness, since on the cross Jesus atoned for our transgressions, our failures, stumbles and falls. Hope with second (& third) chances that lifted Peter, who failed Jesus miserably, yet forgiven, became the rock upon which Jesus built His church – still standing (even if a bit tottering) 2,000 years later.

“There is no cross, big or small, in our life which the Lord does not share with us.” Pope Francis

Whenever & wherever we are betwixt and between, Christ is with us. If we believe & accept the gift of hope God has given us, we can hope in Christ and be His hope to the despairing bits of ourselves – and to others.

Touched by His love, betwixt & between.

grace, peace & resurrection Hope

Virginia : )

“Let your groanings be not for what once was but for what will soon be!” Joni Eareckson Tada