More from Connie Siedler

We all have our “Easter Saturday” situations when our faith is tested and it seems like only divine favor can bring a breakthrough or turn-around. This could be a short-term or prolonged unemployment, illness, conflict at work or at home, addiction, or other challenge that makes us feel like we are in the midst of a storm and in need of a miracle. During these times it can be difficult to hold on, especially when we have been waiting and praying for a long time without seeing any changes in our situation. So how do we stay strong during our Easter Saturdays? Over the past year, I have reflected a lot on this question while I faithfully navigating through my own challenges. I would like to share three things that have made a significant difference in my life and faith and have helped me when I struggled to persevere.

Firstly, having a loving and supportive community around me has been a tremendous blessing. My weekly prayer buddy, in particular, has been a real life-saver. Sometimes we just need to borrow each other’s faith and receive words of hope from those who love us. I can truly say that knowing we are not alone in this makes a world of difference.

Secondly, being honest with Jesus about how I feel has also been a blessing on this journey. He knows our hearts anyway, and he does not judge us. On the emotional rollercoaster of an Easter Saturday, there is no right or wrong way to feel. Recognizing and naming our emotions for what they are can be incredibly valuable and freeing.

Lastly, shifting my mindset and seeing this time as a gift rather than an inconvenience, no matter how difficult it may be, has made a huge difference. I was reminded of something Selwyn Hughes wrote about in his book Carried by Grace about how God works in us through confinement to bring about change within us, just like he did with Jonah in the whale’s stomach. Being in an Easter Saturday may feel like a place of confinement, but it also has the potential to be a place of unprecedented transformation and healing.

That being said, I would like to add one of my own thoughts to what Hughes said about confinement. In my opinion and my experience, it is often in places of confinement that we not only come face to face with the reality of who God is, but also with the reality of who we are. God often exposes our weaknesses and insecurities during these times, but only to heal them so that we can come out as a better version of ourselves. This is a true gift.

So if you are going through an Easter Saturday experience right now, my prayer for you is that you may be surrounded by a loving and supportive community, that you can be honest with Jesus and see the gift of transformation that God is offering, and that you may be encouraged by the gospel truth that an Easter Sunday resurrection always follows an Easter Saturday experience.