Jesus is Sitting Right Beside Me

Today is Easter. Today is Easter and my Savior has risen from the dead, washing me clean. I am so blessed and undeserving of His grace, and yet I receive it in full.

This year Easter seems to mean so much more to me. I have grown so much in my faith the last few months, and it feels like I just get it now. It is not about bunnies or eggs or pretty pastel colors, but about the unconditional love God has for me, and the ultimate sacrifice Jesus took for me. This year I have pure joy in my heart for Christ.

So something happened this weekend. I was sitting on the couch, holding my baby nephew in my arms. My stomach was twisting into knots and I was just thinking of everything that has caused me pain lately. I silently prayed to God, asking why it all had to hurt so much, to lead me into healing, and to take me down His path. And then the words just came, words I didn’t know I had been desperate for: I am sitting right beside you. I could feel and see Jesus’ presence beside me on that couch.

And it all just came together. Jesus knows exactly how I feel. He has been through heartache, He has been betrayed, He has been hurt. He knows and He is beside us in every ounce of pain, grief, and suffering that we endure.

Jesus loved everyone. He came to serve others, show grace and mercy, and, ultimately, die for us. He came to love and yet He was hated by so many. We’ve all been hurt, whether it was intentionally or unintentionally, by someone we love. The people Jesus loved denied Him. The people Jesus loved betrayed Him. The people Jesus loved threw rocks and spit on Him in the streets. The people Jesus loved nailed Him onto a cross. And what did He have to say about this? “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Grace. Mercy. Love.

What is so important to remember is that Jesus knows. He has felt it too and He is right beside you. And that brings me pure joy. That is what allows me to sing worship songs and praise Him in my car, my heart joyful and full while my stomach twists with knots of pain.

Jesus is sitting right beside me. I don’t have to do this alone. He knows and loves me fully and that is all I need.

Always,

Emily