My heart has been focused on the days after Easter more than before this year. I don’t know why, but God has taught me such about the days after. While the days leading up to the death and resurrection are the defining moments of our Savior, it’s what we do the day after that makes up the defining moments for us.
When hard times come, whether it’s death, divorce, financial collapse, broken relationships, health issues, consequences of your own choices… it’s the days after that change our story into our testimony. It’s how we respond that makes the biggest impact. Our choice to rise above, to trust Jesus, to rely on His power and give Him the glory, no matter our circumstances, the days after are what draws people’s awe and attention and their hearts. It’s the reason people want to know what we believe and why we respond so differently from the rest of the world. It’s also in the days after that become the hardest. It’s when everyone else’s life goes back to their normal and you are left to create a new normal, even though you have no idea what that looks like.
The disciples were tasked with this very thing. A new normal in the days after. They had left their jobs before to learn from and to follow Jesus, but now the responsibility to carry on the message of Christ was on their shoulders. Don’t be misled to think this was an easy task. Their very lives were on the line in many cities as their new normal was created. They didn’t know if the people they approached and visited would welcome them or take their life. Jesus told them (and us) in Matthew 28:19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” he also says in Mark to “go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” They had a task in 
Jesus left this earth, to go into all the world. The days after no longer had a new normal, they had the Holy Spirit to guide them and to empower them, but they no longer had the conversations they were used to with Jesus, they no longer could hug him and hear his voice. I bet it was hard at times when that’s all they longed for. I wonder how they grew their faith to listen to the Holy Spirit instead of hearing Jesus voice. The days after grew each of them in ways they never knew possible. The days after brought light out of their darkness, clarity out of their confusion and purpose out of their loss.
Whatever your circumstance, it’s the days after that you are tasked with. You are here and you have purpose. It’s the days after that will eventually bring you light out of your darkness and clarity from your confusion and purpose from your loss. Lean on HIM and Trust HIM.
Your story today will be your testimony tomorrow.
