“The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” Mt 21:9

This Sunday, April 14, begins Holy Week. Applauded and acclaimed on what is now known as Palm Sunday, Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem on a donkey. By Friday, he’d received a sham trial and then was beaten and ultimately crucified. Saying he had a terrible week would be a gross understatement. But because of his willing sacrifice, we have the hope of eternal life today.

Have you ever faced a day where you went from acclamation to devastation? It happens to all of us in varying degrees. Maybe you received a promotion at work only to get home and find your spouse left you. Maybe you welcomed a new child into your life even as your grandmother left this world. Maybe you received positive feedback from your boss only to have a customer yell at you a few minutes later.

These things hurt, and there’s not an easy fix. The only way to the other side of grief, rejection, or heartbreak is to go through it. I’ve been known to bury myself in work and other projects so that I won’t have to deal with emotional pain, and this was especially true after my divorce. But it didn’t work then, and it never will – I have to face the hurt if I want to move past it.

The good news is that I don’t have to go through pain alone, and neither do you. Just as Jesus faced the devastation of rejection by praying and seeking his Father’s will, we can do the same. Jesus knows our sorrows; he’s been there, and he won’t let us go through it alone. When we ask, he gives us his peace, and the Holy Spirit comforts us as we remember Jesus is always with us.

Dear Jesus, thank you for suffering and dying for us so that we may live for eternity with you. Thank you for understanding our human emotions – the elation of good things and the devastation of bad ones. Be with us as we walk through the ups and downs this life brings. Amen.