The appearance of spring flowers always brings cheer to landscapes. Yellow daffodils, pink and white cherry blossoms, purple crocuses, and multi-colored tulips are just some of the signs of a new season. Longer periods of daylight and warmer temperatures help new life thrive. But we only see what appears above the surface. In order for plants to grow, they have to be cultivated
in dirt, which is anything but pretty and instead is mucky and full of worms, bugs, and unseemly particles. 

We recently observed Holy Week. Good Friday always comes first. Like the dark soil, the crucifixion of Jesus was not lovely. Instead, it was characterized by agony, pain, sorrow, and despair. The disciples had followed Jesus for more than three years. One had betrayed Him; another had denied even knowing Him, not just once but three times; and the rest had fled.
They were undoubtedly shaken up. The Rabbi whom they believed to be the Messiah was now being executed as a criminal by gruesome means. What did that mean for them? Would they also be tried and killed for their association with Him? What about their families? 

But three days later came the news that the angels at the tomb announced, “He is not here, for he has risen, as he said” (Matt. 28:6a). We can only imagine their joy and elation. The gospels tell us that some of what Jesus had taught them made no sense to them until after His ascension. Jesus had clearly said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit” (John 12:22). They realized later that He had to die in order to be resurrected, overcoming death and bearing fruit.

Sometimes we find ourselves in situations that feel as if we are mired in dirt for a long time. We pray but don’t see answers, at least not in the timing we desire. It may be due to some type of loss, whether it be dreams, health, livelihood, or relationships. These periods can be perplexing and seem pointless. But remember: soil has a purpose. Something new can come forth from it. Good Friday was not the end of the story. Jesus did not stay in the grave. We celebrate Easter because our God is alive and hope is alive, not just one day a year, but enduringly. “Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert” (Isaiah 43:19).