Easter is a time to remember Jesus and gather with family. But not everyone celebrates that way. Some spend Easter in hospitals, some are far from home, and some are alone. The loneliest Easter I ever had was in prison.
Back then, I believed Jesus liked me—He had healed me of addiction—but I didn’t think God truly wanted me. I pictured Jesus sneaking me into Heaven and convincing God to let me stay. That changed that Easter.
That Easter morning, lonely and homesick, I dreaded going to the chow line. Holiday meals were tough—the food was better, but served by sobbing, homesick women. I lay in my bunk, longing for home and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on fresh bread with cold milk. As a prison cook, I knew that was impossible. There was never peanut butter, fresh bread was rare, and the milk was always lukewarm and watery. But that was my secret wish, known only to God.
When I went to eat, the expected ham dinner was served. But at the end of the line, my heart stopped: jars of peanut butter and jelly, fresh bread, and milk!
With trembling hands, I made my sandwich. The bread was oven-fresh, the milk ice cold—unlike anything we usually had. I sat down and ate the very meal I’d dreamed of. No one else seemed to notice the treasure at the end of the line; it was only a treasure to me.
As a cook, I knew those supplies hadn’t been in our pantry. I wept as the love of God swept over me. It was the best meal I’ve ever eaten. I knew then I’d meet a Father in Heaven who would welcome me—perhaps even with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
That Easter began as the loneliest one I had ever known, but it became the best one I’ve ever had, because it was the day I realized something that changed everything: I was loved by the Father.
On Easter, Jesus rose and called God, “My Father and your Father.” He died to restore our relationship with the Father. That was His gift to me, and it’s His gift to you.
Scripture says He is a Father to the fatherless. That’s not just poetry—it’s a promise. The cross proves there’s nowhere we can go, nothing we can do, that will make Him stop loving us. Easter proves that. Like any good Father, He’s always waiting to welcome His children home.
In closing and in honor of Easter, I want to share some lyrics to Bill Gaither’s classic, Because He Lives:
God Sent His Son, They Called Him Jesus.
He Came To Love, Heal And Forgive.
He Lived And Died To Buy My Pardon.
An Empty Grave Is There To Prove My Savior Lives.
Because He Lives, I Can Face Tomorrow.
Because He Lives, All Fear Is Gone.
Because I Know He Holds The Future,
And Life Is Worth The Living, Just Because He Lives!
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