This quote by Henri Nouwen has been on my mind this Easter.  If you have never experienced the writings of Henri Nouwen, I encourage you to stop cheating yourself. Henri was a Catholic priest who struggled deeply with depression during seasons of his ministry.  At the advice of a friend he turned to writing when the darkness of depression would come over him.  Not all of Henri’s 40 works were written during bouts with depression, but all his writings are expressive of an honest heart seeking completeness in a loving, Resurrected God.

This Easter, if your life is in a wounded or misunderstood place, take solace in identifying with Christ.  The cross in real-time, not reflective-time, was a place of deep wounding and misunderstanding.  It’s fair to say that no one else on the planet understood what Jesus was going through.  Be comforted if you are currently in a place that deeply identifies with Christ’s Passion.

Also, pick up a copy of Henri’s book “The Inner Voice of Love: A Journey Through Anguish to Freedom”.  Each page contains one thought for the day from Henri’s journal.  I have been through seasons of life where after reading a few sentences I had to stop and pray because I so identified with Henri’s words.  For example, “There are two extremes to avoid: being completely absorbed in your pain and being distracted by so many things that you stay far away from the wound you want to heal.”

This Easter, go ahead and embrace the pain, the wound, the Cross, the death, and then rejoice in the completeness of a loving, Resurrected God.