How about that weather?
My town got hit by a storm last week. Officially labeled a downburst rather than a tornado, the storm’s winds reached 105 miles per hour and did a lot of damage to some parts of our community. I can’t begin to imagine the devastation and the difficulty these families are facing.
Even for those of us who just live near the storm, it’s the talk of the town. Facebook posts, dinner conversations, and encounters in the grocery store are about what it was like when the storm came through. As stories are shared, prayers and help are offered for neighbors who are suffering
i started writing this post a little before 3 am, when I woke to heavy, muggy air. Another storm is expected today. The forecast is not supposed to be as severe as last week, but this time of year, well, you just never know.
This time of year: I heard talk about that this week—how it seems like it’s always stormy on or around Palm Sunday. I’m sure it’s not true every year, but stormy days etch themselves in our collective memories the way sunny ones rarely do.
Palm Sunday and the gathering storm
My hubby and I took this week off. We’re having a staycation filled with chores like raking pine straw, gathering info for taxes, and washing oh so many clothes and dishes. We’re preparing to close out winter and move into what we hope will be a glorious summer.
We like to take this week off because it gives us a chance to truly reflect on this time of year—the springy, pollen-laden days for sure, but more importantly this Holy Week.
The week the storm was coming.
I can’t begin to imagine all that Jesus suffered during Holy Week. The unjust accusations. The beatings. The humiliation. The ridicule of strangers. The rejection of friends. The separation from God! Oh how my heart aches as I think about how painful it must have been for him—truly innocent, yet completely “smitten by God and afflicted.”
Scripture tells us He was bruised for our iniquity—our sin. Every flagrant choice we’ve made that’s counter to God’s standard of holiness. Every misspoken word. Every thoughtless or thoughtfully selfish act. They were all laid on his innocent shoulders as He walked toward the cross. The burden was so heavy He could barely go on.
Oh, but sister, He did go on! He went the distance to a place called Calvary to die for our sins. To pay our debt in full and be the complete sacrifice to redeem a people who spend more time talking about the weather than we do about what this Holy Week means.
His storm was coming, and yet he set his face resolutely toward Jerusalem.
Because.
God.
So.
Loved.
The.
World.
We marvel at the power of the weather. Let’s remember to marvel that the One who spoke this world into existence loved the world—loved each of us—so much that He gave His life as a sacrifice on Good Friday. Let’s look forward with excitement to the promise that Sunday is coming when we will celebrate that He rose again to conquer death
So
That
We
Might
Have
Hope.
This song by Phil Wickham helps us focus on the true meaning of this Holy Week. My prayer is that it will tune our hearts to His today. In Jesus, we WILL find hope to carry us through our stormiest days!