Random reflections on Palm Sunday

So much to be grateful for. 

-- My mom and family. Spending time with them is always a joy. 

-- My husband. He works so hard. I want to be more supportive. It's a struggle when I am so disorganized.

 

-- God's great grace. How I needed it this week -- and of course it was there.

 

-- Hope that springs eternal and fresh each day -- great is God's faithfulness!

-- Sight. Hearing. Taste.  Smell. Touch. 

-- Voice to speak and sing. 

-- Hands to type and write and work. 

-- Church family. Today's worship included a Palm procession with the children and choir; a baptism and confirmation; anthem with a Passion theme; and then a wedding! That service missed the sermon with such a compelling title (What a friend He had in Judas.) I couldn't resist asking the pastor about it and was glad I did, because it offered insight about Christ's love that added to the fullness of the day. 

-- Home. Job. Car. Health. 

-- The ability to read and the freedom to pray and study. This week's First 15 from Craig Denison includes some writings from his dad, Jim Denison, that are part of the elder's Lenten Bible study.  (See http://www.first15.org/)

These are two paragraphs I want to keep fresh in my mind, from today's installment:

Where am I in the crowd? .... Consider one other option. On Palm Sunday, the donkey had the greatest honor of all: it carried Jesus. The donkey carried him to Jerusalem for Easter, just as a donkey had carried his mother to Bethlehem for Christmas. The donkey brought Jesus to the people he came to save. In the midst of a fickle crowd, prideful authorities, and faithless disciples, the donkey did its job. It alone was faithful. 

And now Jesus asks me to love him enough to be his donkey. To carry him to the fickle, prideful, faithless people who need him. To tell his story and share his love in mine. The donkey doesn't matter—only the One it bears.