Two weeks to Good Friday. I’ve always thought Good Friday was a misnomer. What’s good about the day Jesus was crucified? I guess we have to wait for Easter to answer that question. Broken bones have been on my mind a lot recently. Seth, my youngest, broke his wrist a few weeks ago (yes, it happened while wrestling with an older brother). Every boy in the family has broken a bone now. Not exactly a goal I set as a father, but just how it seems to have worked out. When the boys were younger I used to check on them and watch them as they slept. Now I’m usually the one asleep before everyone else. However, the other night I woke up and was concerned and wanted to check on Seth. It hurts me to see Seth in pain and I wanted to make sure he was okay. Watching children sleep. It’s truly an amazing and wonderful thing. They are so beautiful and peaceful. As you watch them, it seems like your heart just expands in your chest. You love them so much. As I watched Seth, the thought struck me, I wonder if God watches me while I sleep? The answer is, yes, of course He does. What does God think about while he watches us? Does He marvel at how much He loves us? Does He look at us and think of our potential or things we may do? Does God plant seeds in our hearts as we sleep to guide us or steer us in a specific direction? Scripture points out that one thing is for certain. We will all suffer trials in life and at times it may seem that the wicked are winning or being rewarded. It would be easy to become bitter and lose faith; to wonder, is God really seeing this? We can draw from today’s scripture readings that, yes, God is watching. You wonder what Jesus thought. The Son of God comes among us and those in power plot to kill him. The disciples appear clueless. And the people in Jerusalem said you can’t be the Christ; we know where you’re from! One wonders how frustrated Jesus must have been. Did he question his mission or purpose? Did he think it would be easier to be like the wicked ones? Or did he trust God and discern the innocent souls’ reward? In trying times where God seems distant and injustice seems to reign, we have a choice. We can distance ourselves from God or move closer to God. It always seems to come down to faith and trust. As we move towards Easter this is a time to think about Christ and His sacrifice. The Lenten season offers us an opportunity to spend more time with God. My prayer today is for each of us to know the Lord is watching over us and to deepen our relationship with God. |