Blessed?

Today is Maundy Thursday. I was awakened at 4:30 AM by the cries of my beautiful 4 month old daughter Emily. At 5:00 AM, my older, almost 3 year old daughter Ella wakes up because she has to "tinkle". She's like her daddy and has a hard time going back to sleep once feet have hit the floor. However, after about a half hour, she went back to sleep.

In my early, early morning thinking and praying, I realized how blessed I am. Not only personally when it comes to health and other avenues in my life, but for my 2 daughters, and how they've been healthy and all. Their births were healthy, they've been great, and we are blessed. But it's one of those things that since you're always around it, and it's not a problem, you don't realize how blessed you are.

I think it can be that way with the Passion story. For many of us who have been Christians for a while, or have heard the Passion story, it's an important story, but it's one that we hear this time every year. It has been my personal prayer this Lenten season that I experience and think about the journey in a different way. And God has blessed that prayer with the thought of how blessed I am.

How blessed am I that God would love me in spite of my self-centered way of living?
How blessed am I that God would take my sins, and the sins of the whole world and place them on His sinless Son?
How blessed am I that every time I mess up and ask God for forgiveness, it is given.
How blessed am I that God would know that creation would rebel against Him, yet created it to show His redeeming power and love?

There are many more questions, but then as I pondered these questions, the overwhelming thought became "now what". If I know these things to be true, is my life in line with that? To be blunt, am I living and showing love as God has loved me? Absolutely, 100%, without a doubt, no way.

Being a dad twice over now has given me an insight into my relationship with God on so many levels. Primarily, Ella, being almost 3, loves to incessantly ask the same question over and over, even when the answer is given. I think about myself and God. Do I ask the same questions over and over, even when God has given me an answer? Yes!! It's like if I ask it the right way, in the sweetest tone possible, bat my eyes just right, He'll change His mind and I'll get my way! But God has His reasons for doing things, and even though we may not see it, He knows what is best.

So, what does this all have to do with Holy Week? Simple. God knew what was best for us, and loved us so much, that He chose to take the punishment we deserve, lay it all on His Son, and send Him to the cross. But, the story doesn't stop there. No way. It leads to the empty tomb, and death being defeated! While we struggle on this earth with sickness, sadness, and ultimately death, we can LAUGH in the face of it all, knowing that God loves us, and has redeemed us. I know I will not perfectly live this out, but I am going to do my best and be conscious of having this attitude!