Almost There

It's done!! I finally finished and turned in my curriculum project! It feels so good to have this 60 page project completed. One less class to worry about over the next week. I still have two papers, a presentation, two finals, and some little homework assignments to finish up, but then I will be DONE! This quarter has worked me hard, but it is the same thing every time: look at everything I have to do, have a minor freak out that it won't get done, take a deep breath, do one thing at a time, and somehow I get to the end. God is so good to help me get to that point every quarter. Spring break is so close; I'm almost there.

"Learning to Praise God Everyday"

Today is Ash Wednesday and it's a very rainy day, rather appropriate I think. My mom sent me a book called 24 Hours That Changed the World that my pastor at home is using for a study during this season of Lent.

 

"Adam Hamilton offers 40 days of reflection and meditation enabling us to pause, dig deeper, and emerge changed forever." I am really excited to get into this book because I think that Lent is a time that many Christians don't think about. I know a lot of people think it is a Catholic thing (which is strange to me, where did they get that?). Lent is just as much a part of the Christian church year as is Easter, Advent, or Christmas, but that's another discussion for another day. Today's reading was on Luke 22:7-13:

Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare the Passover meal for us that we may eat it." They asked him, "Where do you want us to make preparations for it?" "Listen," he said to them, "when you have entered the city, a man carrying a jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house he enters and say to the owner of the house, 'The teacher asks you, "Where is the guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?"' He will show you a large room upstairs, already furnished. Make preparations for us there." So they went and found everything as he had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.

In those days these preparations would have been done by the women. Why did Jesus ask Peter and John and not Mary and Martha? Did they not complain or grumble at all about being asked to do a task that was "below" them? Part of being a servant is doing what God asks of you, no matter what that means. (Almost especially if it means you won't get any earthly attention or credit for it.) At the time they probably did not realize the importance of what they were doing, but Peter and John prepared one of the most important meals Jesus took part of.

Only God knows the plans for the rest of my life; I can try to plan on my own, but God has total control over what happens. How willing am I to listen to the things he tells me to do? Do I submit myself to HIS will so that HE may be most glorified? Peter and John clearly got some recognition (in the least that they were named) for this event and they both played an important role in the early church, but what about the man whose house it was? It surely caused some sacrifice on his part to allow this group of people to use his upstairs room for a big meal such as Passover. He is not even named in the scripture. How many of us would be willing to give up our house for a group of people we may not even know to come have a celebration? Just let them use our things and stay as long as they desire. I know it would not be my first idea.

The season of Lent has just begun, but the journey to the cross is here. The next few months is all about Jesus on his way to do what he came for. He knows what is ahead and how it will all end. He is almost there.

Lord, I offer myself to you. Use me to do whatever is needed, no matter how small. Like the unnamed disciple in the story, help me to serve without recognition. Amen.