Esi’s Hope

Bible Reading: Psalm 126:5-6; John 11:20-27, 32-44

Esi stood beside her mom and trembled with tears. It was the hardest day of her life. Eric was her brother, but he had also been her best friend. Why did he have to die? Would she really never see him again?

“Eric, Eric, Eric,” was all she could cry into her mother’s red dress. Their red and black funeral clothes showed those passing by in the streets of Ghana, Africa, that they were grieving. Esi glanced at some people as they walked by, wondering if they could see the aching of their hearts.

Esi’s mother pulled her closer, took a deep breath, and slowly released a sigh. “He is with Jesus,” she said. Together they wept. Esi felt like she would never stop crying.

The pastor spoke about Jesus being the resurrection and the life. Esi flipped her Bible open to the book of John and followed along as the pastor read the story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. There were words on the page she had not expected. “Your brother will rise again.” She kept reading. “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.” Esi smiled through her tears. Jesus would one day raise everyone who trusted in Him from the dead, just like He did Lazarus, and they would all live with Him forever. This was Eric’s hope, and it was hers too.

Several days after the funeral, Esi’s mother said, “I’m planting tomatoes tomorrow. They were Eric’s favorite.” She smiled at Esi. “Would you like to help me?”

Esi only nodded, knowing she would cry if she said anything.

The next morning, with tears in her eyes, Esi wrote “My brother will rise again” on a piece of paper. She placed the note on the door so she would see it whenever she walked outside.

She joined her mother in the garden, and they silently placed the dry yellow seeds in the ground together. Every day after that, Esi went out and watered the seeds. Slowly, plants began to grow. They were bright green and beautiful, and whenever Esi saw them, she remembered her brother and that she would one day see him again. • Becky Elie

How About You?

Have you lost someone you love? Has it seemed impossible to do anything but cry? Jesus knows what it’s like to grieve—He wept when His friend Lazarus died. But then He raised Him back to life! And He promises to do the same for all those who trust in Him. Even though we face death in this sinful world, we have the hope of eternal life with Jesus.

Today’s Key Verse:
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die.”

Today’s Key Thought:

Jesus will raise us from the dead