Spring is arriving

It is almost 4:30pm on the 26th of March, and I have the windows open, the "Glad" Christian Acapella project music blaring, and have been enjoying taking my 13 month old on strolls in the 55 degree plus weather. I think it is safe to say that spring is arriving in Missoula. I had almost forgotten how much I love this time of year. Baseball, green grass, sun, yard work, and Holy Week. I used to rank the Advent (Christmas) time as my favorite--snow, hot chocolate, football, and the celebration of the birth of Christ, but as I have gotten older, I cherish this time more. It starts with the waving of Palms on Palm Sunday; a triumphant and humble entrance by Christ into Jerusalem, where I am sure the irony of a group of people cheering Jesus only to shout "Crucify Him" merely days later did not escape our Servant King. This is followed by: Passover, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and finally the celebration of Easter, of Christ conquering the grave and ascending into heaven. As this time gives me such energy and renewal, I am keenly aware that had I been around during this historical time period, it might have (probably in fact) been me that was cheering Jesus one day only to shout crucify Him the next. It's so easy to be removed from these events...after all, they happened so long ago, but it is precisely why we need to be very aware of what happened. This season is a time of new birth and renewal, and a reminder that we are loved, that we are forgiven and that we ought to, "do this in remembrance of Me."