My favorite professor at Yale, Henri Nouwen (God rest his soul), helped me understand that I don't need to know God's Plan for my life (as if there were only one customized plan and blueprint for my life that I either find and fulfill or lose and have to settle for second best). We may not see the whole path ahead, but God gives us enough light to take the next step. In times of change and difficulty, it's good to remember the Jesus shows us the way, one step at a time. And Easter can be a bright time when we see clearly what we need to see and do.
My Easter gift to you who follow my blog is a sermon quote by one of my spiritual mentors, Henri Nouwen:
"Easter season is a time of hope. There still fear, there still is a painful awareness of sinfulness, but there also is light breaking through. Something new is happening, something that goes beyond the changing moods of our life. We can be joyful or sad, optimistic or pessimistic, tranquil or angry, but the solid streams of God's presence moves deeper than the small waves of our minds and hearts. Easter brings the awareness that God is present even when his presence is not directly noticed. Easter brings the good news that, although things seem to get worse in the world, the Evil One has already been overcome. Easter allows us to affirm that although God seems very distant and although we remain preoccupied with many little things, our Lord walks with us on the road and keeps explaining the Scriptures to us. Thus there are many rays of hope casting their light on our way to life."
From Show Me the Way by Henri Nouwen