Easter Reflections

Walking With Him

I know the phrase “walking with Jesus” doesn’t always land easy these days.

It’s not something you hear much outside of a Sunday sermon, and for a lot of people, it can feel heavy, unfamiliar, or even uncomfortable. Maybe you’ve been hurt by religion. Maybe you’ve been told you don’t belong. Or maybe life’s just been loud, and faith feels like one more thing you can’t find the energy to sort out.

I understand. I want to share something real. Not religious. Not scripted. Just something that’s helped me find peace, direction, and a deeper kind of strength — especially when the world made me feel like I didn’t have any left.

The Man, Not the Brand

See, Jesus wasn’t some distant, unreachable figure. He walked the dirt roads. He spoke to outcasts. He cried. He flipped tables when justice demanded it. He welcomed the doubters. He broke bread with people no one else wanted to be seen with.

And the path He laid out — it’s not a path of perfection. It’s a path of intention. It’s a call to live in truth, to love boldly, and to carry grace even when the load feels too heavy.

Walking with Jesus isn’t about pretending to have it all together. It’s about trusting that you’re not walking alone, even when everything around you says otherwise.

One of the biggest lies we buy into is that in order to be “spiritual” or “good,” we’ve got to completely reinvent ourselves. Change who we are. Clean ourselves up before we come to the table.

But the message of Easter is the opposite. It’s not about who you’ve been — it’s about who you’re becoming.

And the truth is, the best version of you? It’s already in you.

It’s the version that’s rooted in peace, in purpose, and in something greater than hustle, image, or survival. That version is in alignment with the One who created you.

Resurrection Isn’t Just a Moment — It’s a Mindset

Easter is often celebrated as the moment Jesus rose. But what I’ve learned in my walk is that resurrection isn’t just a one-time miracle. It’s a mindset. A daily decision.

It’s waking up after a dark night and saying, “I’m still here.” It’s choosing hope when despair is easier. It’s choosing to forgive when revenge feels justified. It’s choosing purpose when the world hands you pain.

I’ve lived through more than a few “deaths” in my own life. The death of freedom, the death of identity, the death of relationships, trust, opportunity. But every time I thought I was done, grace found me. And walking with Jesus helped me rise again — stronger, quieter, clearer.

Let’s make this plain. Walking with Jesus doesn’t always look like church pews and gospel choirs. Sometimes it looks like choosing patience in traffic. Or calling your kid instead of giving them the silent treatment. Or telling the truth when a lie would be easier.

It looks like integrity. Like kindness. Like discipline. Like compassion. It looks like falling short — and getting up anyway.

It looks like carrying yourself in a way that says: I know who I am. I know who walks beside me. And I’m not giving up.

You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t have to quote scripture. You don’t have to explain your past. You just have to be willing to take the next step.

Maybe you’re not sure where you land on faith. That’s okay. I’m not here to convince you. I’m just here to offer something real:

What if walking with Jesus is less about religion and more about relationship? What if it’s about learning how to be fully yourself, fully alive, and fully grounded in something greater?

What if it’s the key to becoming whole — not by force, but by grace?

At the end of the day, we all want the same things: peace, purpose, connection, love. And walking with Jesus is how I’ve learned to receive those things — and how I’ve learned to give them.

This Easter, Come Home to Yourself

Easter isn’t just about resurrection — it’s about returning. Returning to your center. Your values. Your source.

It’s about remembering that you were never meant to carry it all alone. That you don’t have to perform for love. That you don’t need to be flawless to be faithful.

So whether you’re in church this Sunday or just sitting quietly with your thoughts — I encourage you to ask yourself:

• What am I walking toward?

• What am I leaving behind?

• What would it feel like to walk with peace?

No pressure. No guilt. Just reflection.

Because this isn’t about checking a box. It’s about realigning with the version of you that’s already been called to rise.

The world may try to dim that light. But grace still says: Get up. Love still says: Keep going.

Happy Easter,

-Troy Rienstra