From YA Weekly
This Easter, Stop and Consider the Lilies
As we seek Christ, we will realize that His peace can be ours always.
Photograph from Adobe Stock
In His last days in mortality, Jesus Christ reassured His disciples, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you” (John 14:27).
During Easter time, when we celebrate His ultimate victory over sin and death—His Resurrection—this promise is especially powerful. But even though the Savior’s peace is always available to us, there may be times when we struggle to feel it.
So how can we always have His peace, hope, and joy with us?
I’ve found it by actively seeking Him.
Seek Peace Through Christ
One way I seek peace through Christ is by writing poetry. I live and breathe poetry, so for the past two years, I have followed the acts of the Savior by writing a poem for each day of Holy Week.
The first year, I felt inspired to write poems to show my love and gratitude to the Savior and to learn more about His works. This was impactful, but it wasn’t inherently personal. I wrote mostly as if I were describing His actions.
The next year, I wrote poems to find peace in the Savior and because I wanted to follow the First Presidency’s counsel to make Easter more important in my life. My connection to Christ truly deepened because I searched for Him. I wrote from the perspective of those who witnessed His works and teachings. It was deeply moving and incredibly personal.
This meant putting to words what life would be like for someone who had nothing to give but their self. Or someone who had not suffered severe physical ailment or captivity but was spiritually bruised and bound. Or someone who had never really given love and was struck by Jesus’s declaration of the greatest kind of love.
Pondering all this and more helped me be more grateful for and humbly in awe of the Savior’s wonderful and perfect life.
Live in the Details
As I considered the details of the Savior’s acts, I found that He was very close to me. I know I wasn’t there to hear the words “Lazurus, come forth” (John 11:43), nor did I see Him weep, but as I pondered and wrote, I felt like I was at the tomb outside Bethany.
In some parts of the world, we use the saying “Stop and smell the roses” to remind people to slow down when they’re too anxious and stressed to see the positive aspects of life. But what if, instead, we stop and “consider the lilies” (Matthew 6:28), as Christ taught? What if we intentionally seek the happiness, satisfaction, and peace He offers?
I think the key is giving ourselves the time to live in the details of His loving acts and words. Imagine you’re in ancient Jerusalem, reacting to Christ’s teachings. For example, try to imagine being near the cross and hearing the Savior ask Heavenly Father to forgive those who were crucifying Him (see Luke 23:34). How would that impact you?
Or this: The Savior has just promised you peace unlike anything you have felt (see John 14:27). But you thought the Messiah was supposed to bring peace by freeing the Israelites from the Romans, and He hasn’t done that. So what kind of peace was He teaching about?
Or this: You followed Christ for years. But He died. You went to tend to His body and found only an empty tomb. How do you feel? (See John 20:1–13.)
So, what did I do to find peace in Jesus Christ? In my own way, I considered the lilies. I took the time to search for His love in the stories of His life, and I found it. The most amazing part was that He was there waiting, His arms open wide.
If we consider the lilies, we will realize that peace in Him isn’t ours only after the suffering is over. It can be ours always.
May there be peace in Christ for you this Easter, as there has been for me.