Ramblings From My Veranda

On this blessed Easter weekend, I'm feeling especially close to God. My grandsons are in the living room watching a ball game and Gary has gone to help our oldest son, Greg, "un-winterize" his camper. So here I sit thinking about this weekend and all that it means.

I found the video below on "You Tube" and decided that, even though it's quite graphic in places, I needed to share it. Sometimes we need to be reminded, graphically, about all the pain and suffering that Jesus went through. In our mind we know it...but do we really realize how bad it was? Probably much worse than the video shows.

Anyway, we heard the weather forecast for Sunday morning and it's suppose to be 30 degrees with maybe a few snow flakes. Ours is one of the few churches in our area that still observe Sunrise Service. Now what this entails is getting up extra early, showering, getting dressed and driving to church. Standing or sitting outside in the pre dawn morning, singing, worshiping and praying as we watch the sunrise. Afterwards, we go into the fellowship hall, have a huge breakfast, go home, undress, re-dress in our Easter outfits and go back to church at 10 am. This is all a very awesome experience. I've done it since childhood, though I admit that for years in my adult life, I seemed to have lost my way. But, because of His love for me, the Shepard left the fold, found His little lost sheep, and brought me back.
So, I was thinking, because I am human, I will probably (along with others) grumble about how much earlier we have to get up, how cold it is, how it's snowing (maybe), how we are sitting on cold, metal folding chairs instead of on our padded pews in the sanctuary, where it's warm, how we have to drive all the way back home and return in a couple of hours...and I would have the nerve to think of this PRIVILEGE as being a little uncomfortable for us. Then I think...my being uncomfortable for a little while versus Christ's suffering the crucifixion for hours on end....

Forgive me, Lord, for my selfishness. May I forever be reminded of Your wondrous love for a sinner like me. And though I know, You have saved me and promised me a glorious home in heaven, may I never forget that it is through Your grace alone that I am so blessed. So I ask you, Lord, to forgive me when I grumble, and may I never forget to thank You for Your awesome sacrifice. AMEN