Once a Year…Until It Became Everything
Growing up, Easter was the only time I heard the story of Jesus.
It wasn’t something we talked about regularly. It wasn’t woven into everyday life. But once a year, I would hear about a man who died on a cross and somehow came back to life. I didn’t fully understand it, but something about it always stayed with me. Even as a child, it felt important, like it meant more than just a holiday.
Then life happened.
As I got older, I found myself relying on my own understanding, making choices that led me down a path I never intended to take. In my recovery, I’ve had to face the reality of my brokenness, my need for control, my patterns, my struggles. And if I’m honest, there were many moments I felt too far gone, too messy, too undeserving of anything new.
But that once-a-year story? It never left me.
What I’ve come to understand now is that Easter isn’t just a story, it’s an invitation. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is the same power that brings dead things in us back to life. What felt hopeless, stuck, or buried doesn’t have to stay that way.
1 Peter 1:3 says that in His great mercy, God has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. That “living hope” is something I’ve experienced personally in recovery. It’s not just a one-time moment; it’s something I must choose daily. Surrendering. Trusting. Letting God do what I couldn’t do on my own.
Easter is special to me because what was once the only time I heard about Jesus is now the reason I live differently. It reminds me that no matter how far I’ve wandered, God’s mercy meets me right where I am. That nothing is too broken for Him to restore.
If you’re in a place where things feel heavy or stuck, I want to encourage you, there is hope. Not a temporary fix, but a living, breathing hope that meets you in your mess and walks with you into something new.
Reflection:
What is one area of your life that feels “dead” or stuck right now? What would it look like to invite God into that space and trust Him with it?
