Sunday, April 4, 2010

Easter Morning

The last few weeks have been what I'll characterize as "strained". We've had some sort of bug at the house that we've passed around a couple of times and can't seem to shake. And so I'm up early on Sunday morning, having walked and fed the new puppy and now trying to clear the sinuses to breathe and suppress a continual cough.

This is not how I wanted to feel on Easter morning. I wanted to feel good and full of energy and be bright and perky for the day ahead. We have three services at church this morning and I sing in the choir and I wanted to show up and give it my all. Instead, we will drag ourselves to one service, and I'll have to listen from the congregation.

I had not expected to feel this way on Eastser morning. To feel so sad and tired. To be disappointed. And to be so very whiny about a stupid little bug.

But then I thought about the women in the Easter story so long ago. The story begins with these women really. They went home and prepared spices to anoint Christ's body. Early that Easter morning, when it was still dark they went to the tomb and found the stone rolled away and Christ was no longer there.

They didn't feel so good starting out on Easter morning either. But look how it turned out for them. So in my own simple way, I'll show up. I'll go for the same reason they did on that day that started out so dark and gloomy. Because I love Christ and want to serve. And who knows, maybe an Easter miracle will happen. Maybe I'll be shocked and surprised by the goodness of God. Maybe this one day that seems so ordinary in the beginning, will be life changing before it is finished.

May the peace of Christ be with you.