It’s Friday, but Sunday’s comin’! Just when things look the darkest, Jesus shows up. His sweet presence lights up the darkness. It may be that he changes the circumstances or he may do the harder thing – changes our attitudes about the circumstances.
Isn’t it amazing that one event that occurred two thousand years ago can still impact us on a minute by minute basis?! Jesus proved his love for us when he allowed himself to be captured, tortured and put to death in a slow, painful way. His followers were shattered. It wasn’t supposed to happen this way! Then he showed his power when he came back from the dead. All the tears were turned to gasps of joy. By faith, I know that this very minute I can call out to him and know that he hears and responds.
As I write this, my husband and I are living in an RV trailer in the thick of a life transition. By faith, we made the decision to move across the country in order to be closer to our grandchildren geographically and emotionally. We’re so glad we did.

Disclaimer:  Some of the following comments are first world whinings.  I do not mean to be disrespectful to the majority of the world’s population who would gladly trade places with me.  Having lived in a third world country, I know millions will never have the privilege of drinking pure water or owning a safe house.

The nitty gritty of building a house in a rural area on a limited budget in a very government regulated/taxed part of the country takes its toll. We feel like we’re on a roller coaster. We owe $1200. for a driveway permit?! (Just the right to make a driveway and connect it to the road.) They didn’t hit water till they drilled 626 feet deep?! The cost exceeded even the worst case estimate? We have to pay for a permit for the well, too? The new neighbor wants to share our water and split the cost of the well? Hooray! The new neighbor backed out of buying the next door property and won’t be sharing the cost? BooHoo. We can’t sight the house where we want to because the septic drain field and a rise in the ground won’t allow it? The fire department mandates a 70′ gravel turn around beside the house? It takes 6-8 weeks to obtain a building permit with scores of charges we can’t even figure up?

Yet every day we see God’s kind hand providing for us and little whispers of his unending love and concern. On the day our deed on the land was recorded, I was looking out the window and saw a huge brightly colored full rainbow. God has graciously strengthened my heart by the sign of a rainbow during several major new undertakings in our lives. It’s very meaningful to me to see a rainbow on the day we take a new big step. Given my husband’s misgivings, this was a welcome assurance to my heart.
In the midst of an emotional meltdown, good news from a son across the ocean.
During a misunderstanding with someone I love, through tears of frustration on yet another dreary day what should meet my blurry gaze but a cheery, bright yellow forsythia bush. It glowed in the gloom and reminded me that things wouldn’t always be tense and sad and God was thinking of me.

One day we were standing in bone-chilling wind and rain while the well drilling machinery droned deeper and deeper into the earth without hitting water. Every foot was more dollars and still no water. Then suddenly the machine spit out not the hoped for water, but lovely and unusual turquoise colored rock. The driller scooped some rock up and rinsed it off. We huddled together in the pouring rain and marveled at that beautiful rock. “What makes it that color?” I asked. “God made it that way,” he replied. And we stood in the gray together and delighted in God’s creative genius.

After weeks of uncertainty and pressures about our building project, I watched a granddaughter hug her grandpa for the first time since our arrival a month earlier. That image is burned into my memory by joy, deep joy, and gratitude to the God who hugs us with the arms of a little child.

There’s nothing I’d trade for the serious discussions I’ve enjoyed with our teenage granddaughter. Her deep questions and wise observations light a fire in my soul. Shared snacks and study times block out the trouble and the rain. And we laugh.  We laugh with God and in God.

Thank you, Jesus, it isn’t always heart wrenching Good Friday, because Sunday comes and you show up and everything is alright.

Note:  I want to give credit to Tony Campolo whose sermon with the words, “It’s Friday, but Sunday is Coming!” has stayed with me the many years since I first heard it.