The week before Easter

This year our new Pastor decided to do Passion Week.  In an essence  it makes us ponder Easter a little more than the Easter bunny, eggs, and the few hours of Sunday morning mahem as we dawn our fancy dresses, and excitedly attend the Easter morning service.  Even the thought of  the weekly services, reflecting the betrayal, the crucifixion and the forgiveness that took place makes me ponder the process even more.

As we ended our staff meeting with prayer this morning the sun was pouring into the office.  It looked so beautiful outside yet so deceiving.  We wanted so bad to enjoy the day but the impending snow storm on its way brought a sense of discouragement and dread.  I couldn't help but think about Jesus as he entered the town with everyone waving palm branches, excited for his arrival.  Could he have that yearning to be just as excited to see them yet dread because he knew what was ahead?

Good Friday, The day of Christ's resurrection, only two days away.  As it turns out my laser eye surgery also lands on Good Friday.  While it is not a sacrifice for me and merely a luxury it still allows me to fathom what Jesus may have thought and felt only days before his crucifixion.  I can't compare a simple laser procedure that is pain free and lasts only minutes to anything remotely close to what he went through.  I can not compare the first time I will see clearly without any glasses or contacts to that impacting moment when he rose again.  I can and I just did however paint you a picture of the closest thing to relation that I am feeling right now.

I am looking forward to Friday and the outcome of being able to see without the tools that I have learned to rely on for 25 years.  At the same time I dread the waiting game that I will have to play in preparation for my surgery.  I fear the process and the pain that will follow.  I am very nervous of how everything will turn out.  But I know that the end result will be so worth it.  So, while I won't be saving any lives ... HA!  I just laughed out loud because Ironically, this whole procedure will help me to be a more efficient firefighter and in the end, maybe even save a few lives.  Yet I am not saving lives entirely.  Jesus sacrificed so much for us.  While I am sacrificing nothing even fathomably close to what he sacrificed for us many, many years ago this Good Friday, I can be sure that I will be thinking of it every step along the way.