It had stormed for most of the day, but the egg hunt was on as scheduled. My teenage daughter had volunteered to supervise the little kids as they searched for glow-in-the-dark eggs. As I handed her the car keys, I was glad that I didn’t have to be out there on such a cold, damp, and miserable night.

It’s been a cold, damp, and miserable winter for many of us in this parish community. We’ve suffered through serious illness, unemployment, depression, etc. In many cases, the storms aren’t over, but the Easter season is on as scheduled. Where will we find the glow of Easter in all of this darkness?

Perhaps, we can learn from the little egg hunters. As the kids searched for glow eggs, I imagine that they excitedly yelled, “I found a green one!” “Look, there’s a bright yellow one!” “I can’t believe how pretty this one is!” The kids looked for and found colorful and glowing treasures on a dark and miserable night.

As we search for the glow of Easter in the midst of our own darkness and misery, the treasures we find will look a little different. We may excitedly exclaim, “I found an inner strength that I never knew I had!” “Look, it’s a moment of peace!” “I can’t believe how kind everyone has been to us!”

On the darkest nights of our lives, God invites us to hunt for and find colorful and glowing treasures.