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A friend shared this Easter Devotional with me on Sunday afternoon. I was encouraged - such a confirmation of the message we heard Sunday. The original title was simply a Easter Blessing. I have entitled the teaching "In the Middle...Blessing." Enjoy some Nouwen.

"The cross is the main symbol of our faith, and it invites us to find hope where we see pain and to reaffirm the resurrection where we see death. The call to be grateful is a call to trust that every moment of our life can be claimed as the way of the cross that leads to new life. Can we be grateful for everything that has happened in our life - not just the good things but for all that has brought us to today? 

In the world's eyes, there is an enormous distinction between good times and bad, between sorrow and joy. But in the eyes of God, they are never separated. Our ministry is to help people gradually let go of their resentment and discover that right in the middle of suffering there is blessing. Where there is pain, there is healing. Where there is mourning, there is dancing. Where there is poverty, there is the Kingdom of God."

An excerpt from THE HENRI NOUWEN SPIRITUALITY SERIES, A Spirituality of Living by Henri J.M. Nouwen. Copyright %uFFFD 2011 The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust. Published by Upper Room Books. Used with the kind permission of The Henri Nouwen Legacy Trust.