Dark Friday, Bright Sunday

"Each of us will have our own Fridays--those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.
But, Sunday will come. In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come. No matter our desperation, no matter our grief, in this life or the next, Sunday will come."

"I think of how dark that Friday was

when Christ was lifted up on the cross.
On that Friday, the Savior of mankind was
humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled.
It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow.
I think of all the days since the beginning of this world's history,
that Friday was the darkest."
"But the doom of that day did not endure.
The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bonds of death.
He ascended from the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.
And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise, for Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the firstfruit of the Resurrection, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence."

"We will all rise from the grave.
Because of the life and eternal sacrifice of the Savior of the world,
we will be reunited with those we have cherished. On that day we will know the love of our Heavenly Father and will rejoice that the Messiah overcame all that we can live forever."

Death is not the end of existence.
Because of our beloved Redeemer, we can lift up our voices,
even in the midst of our darkest Fridays, and proclaim,
"O death, where is they sting?
O grave, where is they victory?"
{1 Corinthians 15:55}

"May we live in thanksgiving for the priceless gifts that come to us as sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father and for the promise of that bright day when we shall rise triumphant from the grave."

"No matter how dark our Friday, Sunday will come."

"He is Risen!"

This message was shared in our home this past week
by our "Home Teachers",
in our case a father and son from church who every month
visit with our family, see how we are doing and share a spiritual thought.

Of course the message is not new.

But it sure gives us an anchor of faith and hope
and redeeming love, doesn't it?
Happy, glorious Easter!

{material from Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, october 2006}
[flickr photos by photomato; bpbp Brian Peterson; F-2]