Lent Day 40: Palm Sunday

I watched the sunset from our verandah this evening. After ten busy days of holiday it was quite something to get home, unpack, do a load of laundry and have a cup of tea. 

I always find it interesting to get home after a long absence. I see the house with fresh eyes. I notice things that are not where they should be, I'm suddenly ruthless with nick nacks, I see spots that could do with a new coat of paint or some TLC. I generally do a mental inventory. And Stephen starts to sweat because I'm the ideas person, I'm not the person who makes the ideas come to fruition. And when he gets home all he wants to do is read his book. The poor guy had to restring the washing line this evening. 

While watching the sunset and making mental 'to do' lists I decided to listen to my Lectio app- something I haven't done for too long. And then, to my shame, I realised that it is Palm Sunday. I had no idea. I've been very out of time for the last while. I suppose that happens when you're out of signal, off social media and in a foreign country. Life continues to happen without you knowing it. 

Being reminded that it is Palm Sunday also reminded me why I'm writing this blog in the first place - to honour God. And then I felt bad because I feel like holidays are often the time one is least connected to God because I spend all my time making my time about me. So much focus goes on ensuring that leasure time is spent leisurely that one forgets that true peace comes from a soul being at peace with God. 

The first Palm Sunday was a holiday, a time of celebration, it wasn't real and it didn't last. The very people who waved the palm fronds would be baying for Christ's blood a mere five days later. And Jesus must have ridden through the crowd with fresh eyes seeing all the work that needed to be done, the fixing that needed to happen. He wasn't blinded by the joviality of the unreality of the moment, the holiday vibes, He knew that this homecoming would result in the greatest work a singular human has ever done for humanity. 

So maybe getting home, back to reality and the realization that I have been waving palm fronds rather than watching the man on his donkey has been the jolt I needed. God's creation and moments of bliss away from the chaos of real life have been a real blessing but a relationship with Him comes when we acknowledge the 'to do' list in ourselves rather than our own agenda for leisure. The slow march towards the cross has begun and its time to refocus on the solidity of the wooden cross and not the flimsiness of a palm frond. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Lent Day 3: Dear Leo

Image
  Dear Leo, You don't know me but you probably know my type. I'm one of those aunties who will come up to you and squeeze your little foot, and talk in a high pitched voice telling you that I've known your mom since she was a little girl. I would probably also tell you that you're handsome like your dad and have the cutest little face. I would also be a clown to try to make you laugh. Lets be honest, I would probably be a bit awkward, like most aunties are, but that's because I know how loved you are and I want you to know how much I love you. Even if I'm just some random auntie.  The thing is Leo, I've known your mom for almost all my life. We grew up together, farm girls from the mountains and we also went to high school together. And even though your mom is a completely sophisticated belter today I remember the days when she was so little that eating a peanut butter sandwich would result in most of the peanut butter ending up all over her cheeks. I also r...
Read more

Lent Day 44: Porcupine

Image
Last night as Stephen and I were getting ready for bed we got a message from our security company, Ensure, to say that there was a porcupine at the bottom of our garden. The message came with the above picture. While we scrambled to put shoes and coats on we watched the elusive creature rummaging around with the help of our camera monitor. By the time we got to the bottom of our garden it was gone.  We then got a message from our security company (who obviously watched us trying to view the porcupine) saying that we must be careful because they are dangerous creatures. They were also worried about our dogs. We assured them that the dogs were locked inside.  Two nights ago our dogs went berserk in the middle of the night and I immediately contacted our Ensure team who did a quick reconnaissance of the footage and confirmed that it might have been the security guard walking across the Kearsney field who kick started their response.  Our Ensure team also warn us when it's go...
Read more

Can I get a witness?

Image
 The above picture is singlehandedly both the worst and the best picture ever taken of me. And because Dan Eager's try will go down as a truly iconic moment in Kearsney's history my double chins and psychotic eyes will now also be immortalized. The photo has gone viral and has given my family, friends and vague acquaintances great, great joy.  But I love this picture for all its horror because it shows me for who I am. It is a raw statement of my spirit.   Because I am a witness. Because I celebrate the victories of those I care about with wild abandon and overzealous joy. Because when the people I love win, I win. And because I always want to be on the sidelines cheering you on, in victory, or defeat.  This intense need to see my people flourish is why I became a teacher. When I was considering the various options of study when doing my MA the choices were to go the fame route and develop myself as an actor, director and scriptwriter or to study applied theatre...
Read more