“April showers bring May flowers” is a saying we may have heard, and it is usually true.

The wet, dreary weather we tend to experience in early spring gives way to a beautiful array of flowers in vibrant colours as time passes. The flowers bloom, or vegetables and trees bear fruit later in the season, because of the rain that falls on them – or in very dry periods the water that we give them.

This familiar saying reminds me of a Bible verse that says, “Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory He (Jesus) will reveal to us later.” (Romans 8:18)

Last year my husband, Tim, and I both experienced illness and subsequent surgery, but thankfully not at the same time so we were able to support and care for one another during our recovery times. We are both now very well and have reflected on the deep peace of Jesus that we felt throughout this time. Jesus didn’t promise us that we wouldn’t go through difficult times, but he did promise us that he would always be with us.

Another phrase that I hear at times is ‘touch wood’, when someone might be hoping for some good luck, or to avoid tempting fate. Of course, common sense tells us that a piece of wood can’t have any influence on our lives. But it reminds me that Jesus died on a wooden cross and he can influence our lives in a good way if we follow him and learn from his ways.

As we prepare our Easter celebrations it is good to remember the path of suffering that Jesus took on our behalf. He faced an unfair trial, was beaten, humiliated, and finally nailed to a wooden cross. On the day we call Good Friday he died; he was laid in a tomb for three days; and then on the day we celebrate as Easter Day he rose from the dead and showed himself to more than 500 people to prove that he had overcome death and was alive!

So next time you are about to say ‘touch wood’, can I encourage you to pause and give thanks to Jesus instead for giving his life sacrificially for each one of us, so that we can know his love and peace in this world and for all eternity.

Reverend Anne Mason