Perhaps a lost credit card surprisingly turned up in your other bag. Or a lump you found turned out to be benign needing no treatment. Or perhaps you were made redundant, and you then found another job which paid more and was more rewarding!

If you have ever experienced going from utter gloom to happiness and relief, you will perhaps feel something like the disciples felt on that first Easter day. Imagine you were there! You had followed this wonderful teacher for three years, started to believe that he was the Son of God, only to see all your hopes crumble when he was put to death on the cross. But three days later, your friend Mary came back and said Jesus had come back to life. Then a few days later, there he was in your room, alive and eating with you!

Jesus has given the world what it really needs-hope!

However, not all credit cards are found, tumors benign and not all redundancy leads to better jobs. Sometimes the worst does seem to happen. But love never ever leaves us.

God loved us so much that he sent His only Son to die for us and to rise again, so our sins would be forgiven, and we would survive death, passing into eternal life.

That may seem a bit like “Jam tomorrow”- how does that help now? But the thing about that Easter miracle is that after the resurrection, Jesus was alive and unlike Lazarus he never had to die again. So, this means that Jesus is alive NOW!

He is here with us, loving us no matter what we do, and supporting us even in the worst time. If you look and listen, you will find His love, in the spring flowers, in the kind words of a friend, in the laughter of children.

Research was recently carried out on the art of happiness. Apparently, you must practice being happy! I would suggest that feeling love is the secret of happiness, and Jesus’ love is always there, surrounding us and supporting us.

So, this April, lean into Love.

Enjoy the happiness of that first Easter Day and spread it all around!