Some years ago, for my birthday my mother gave me a stuffed camel we affectionately named “Alice”. The note pinned to her said “In her wisdom your grandmother used to say, ‘When you get over the hump, you get over the camel.”

I was not exactly sure what my grandmother meant. My mother explained that if you can get over the problem…the hump… you are facing, you could get through life. But how can you get over a seemingly impossible problem?

What do you do when it seems like everything in your life, including life itself, is failing? How do you cope with ‘terminal’ illness, an ailing marriage, and not being able to pay the bills? I know because I have had to face all these issues in the last 34 years. I know because I found the solution to all these problems in the message of Easter. Not in a hutch of clucking bunnies or a basket of decorated eggs, although I enjoy them all.

No. The solution for the very real, humanly insurmountable problems in my life was found in the resurrected Man of Easter; Jesus Christ of Nazareth who makes me whole, spirit, soul, and body.

When I first became a Christian 45 years ago, I had no idea of how I would come to know Jesus as my Provider, my Counselor, my Healer, my financial advisor, my mentor, my confidant, and my guide. I have seen Him work in my life, and the lives of my family and friends, time after time. And He continues to do so.

Although I seldom write about my experience with God, it seems appropriate at Easter, with the extreme issues of COVID, the occupation of our capital city, unemployment, financial problems, severe illnesses and hurting relationships looming in so many of our lives, to share the story of Easter with you.

Three days after Jesus had been crucified and buried, Mary Magdalene, one of His friends, and a woman Jesus had helped with problems in her life, went to His tomb at dawn with some other ladies. They had planned to go to the tomb to prepare His body with herbs and ointments, as was the custom of those days. On the way, they discussed how would they move the large stone that sealed the entrance to the tomb.

When they got there, they were amazed to discover the stone had been rolled away. When they went inside, however, they did not find the body of Jesus. Instead, there was a young man, an angel, clothed in a long stately robe of white. The women were terrified.

“Do not be afraid,” the young man told them, “I know you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. But He is not here. You are looking for the living among the dead. Jesus has risen from the dead. He has been resurrected by the power of God.”

The women fled from the garden. They didn’t tell anyone what they had seen because they were held by alarm and fear. Mary went to see Peter and the other disciples and told them “They have taken away the body of Jesus.”

John and Peter headed straight to the tomb. There they saw that Mary had not been hallucinating with grief; the tomb was indeed empty. Only the grave clothes were left behind. They agreed that someone had taken the body and went back to tell the others.

Mary stayed behind at the tomb, sobbing. Someone had taken the body of the only man she had ever trusted. As she wept, she stooped down and looked one last time into the tomb. She saw two angels sitting there.

“Why are you crying?” they asked her. She told them “Because they have taken away my Jesus, and I do not know where they have put Him.”

Turning around, she saw what she thought was the gardener standing there. He said to her “Why are you crying, dear Woman. What are you looking for?’ She related the story to him one more time.

The gardener smiled at her with that confident, loving smile that only Jesus could smile and said to her, “Mary!” and by the compassion she heard in that one word she immediately recognized Him. He was her resurrected Jesus.

After Mary and Jesus laughed and cried because of His victory over death, and how they had been reconciled… they could not hug because He had not yet been to the Father… Mary tore herself away from Him to go tell the others.

As the first evangelist, she ran to share the good news that Jesus was alive and that she had not only seen Him but had spoken and laughed with Him. Jesus had risen from the grave.

And I have seen Him, too. I have seen Him heal the sick. I have seen Him do financial miracles. I have seen Him restore broken relationships. I have seen Him do the impossible. I have seen Him break the power of fear in lives. And I have seen Him in my quiet times of prayer inviting me to sit with Him and just bask in His presence like when I met Him when I was just three years old and very sick with pneumonia.

How do you get over a camel’s hump? For me it was and is always by trusting God. I am learning to see that God is bigger and greater than any problem I may face in my life. I have seen that if God could, and did, have the power to raise Jesus from the dead, and if Jesus could trust Him to do that, then I can trust God to give me solutions for my most “impossible” problems. He has healed me from ‘terminal’ cancer. He is restoring not only a damaged brain, but also a broken heart.

Easter is a celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, from the dead. Resurrection Sunday remembers that not even death could impede God’s recreative power. Today, as a minister of the gospel, I suggest to those who are having problems in their lives that seem insurmountable that they should take them to the only One who can solve them. And will. Always. IF you are dealing with what seems like an unsurmountable problem and want someone to pray with, pray the following prayer with me now.

And if you do not even know Jesus Christ as your Saviour, your Deliverer, your Friend, or I f you used to know Him and need to be reconnected with Him, please pray this prayer with me. First. Father God, Jesus the Christ and Holy Spirit will heal you spirit, soul (mind, will and emotions,) body, family, financially socially and community. That Trinity not only have the resources but the power to make anything you need manifested in your life. As soon as you say the words, you will be ushered into the Kingdom of God and the angels will rejoice.

Almighty God, , You know that I am dealing with what looks like to me insurmountable problems. And I need Your help. I know I have done and continue to do things that are opposite to Your way of doing and being right, but through the blood of Your sacrificial lamb Jesus that was willingly shed on the cross for me, everything I have done wrong in thought, word and deed is forgiven and forgotten under the blood. I repent, turn from that way of living and thinking. I choose to follow You living, doing and saying what You do in Your guide book…. Your Bible… Your Word. That by receiving Jesus as my Saviour, which I do now, I am literally born again out of death and into new life and eternity with You. I thank You for Your salvation. Your mercy to forgive me. Your love to make me whole and everything I need to live the life You have purposed for me. I look forward to living the rest of my life here on earth with You until I move on to living the rest of my life… my eternity… with You in heaven.

Thank you, in Jesus’ name.

Now that you are a Christian, a Believer, a citizen of the Kingdom of God, you have the legal right to come to Him with your requests; what ever you need. Nothing is too small for Him to be interested in and He loves the word impossible, there is nothing he cannot handle. He is omniscient… there is nothing He does not know… He is not surprised by anything. He is a gentleman and only gets involved in what He is invited to be part of… He just wants you to involve Him in it by asking Him.

Almighty God, concerning that very real problem I am dealing with, I thank You for showing me the solution You have already made for me. I thank You that You have a plan and a purpose for my life, a plan to prosper me and not to harm me, to give me hope in my outcome. That it is Your plan for me to always triumph in Christ. That You order my steps in Your words and You do not let any iniquity have dominion over me. I ask You to give me the wisdom to see Your solution and the courage and the tools to make it happen with You as you guide me over the hump of the camel. I ask this because Your Word says this is the confidence, the assuredness of boldness I have in You, if I ask anything according to Your Will… and I know it is Your will if I read it in Your Word… You hear me. And I know if You hear me, I have as my present possession… it is mine in the spirit… and I am believing for it to manifest in my life… the request of You. I thank You and worship You and praise You for being Who You are… knowing that if You have said it, will You not do it. And I thank You that You are putting angels to flight to bring in what I need, to whisper in the ears of those who are supposed to help me, and to do whatever needs to be done to get me through this. In Jesus’ name I pray. Enjoy a Joyous Easter!!!

Celebrate Jesus.
Regards, Marilynn

About the author; Marilynn Vanderstaay
Marilynn is a deep-rooted Christian whose life as a Believer since she was just three is intertwined with everything she puts her hands to professionally and personally.

A community investment specialist, she is a journalist and columnist who writes for community, local and national publications celebrating life and successes, yet when necessary, exposing the not so nice. Her columns and e-zines are read and enjoyed.

She is a soft skills trainer/inspirational speaker. A fabric artisan whose works hang in a gallery in Old Montreal and are published in a coffee table book.

And she is an impresario who organizes faith, friends, food, and fun events. And yes, she is a five-time life threatening cancer overcomer, healed by Jesus to declare the illustrious acts of the Lord. Psalm 118:17