The Treasures of a Most Significant Week

Passion week is the most significant week on the church calendar. If you do not have daily devotional readings for this journey, 

a scripture guide for the week follows.

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord” (Matthew 21: 6-11) 

Palm Sunday, opens a parade of praise, leading to days of persecution: Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:36-37; John 12: 12-19.

Now or Next?

I clocked 1.6 miles last Saturday. No, I wasn’t walking as part of planned exercise. I was on a mission with a list: groceries and gifts. From aisle to aisle, running into carts and people, and looking for parking spots, I checked off items on my list, going to the next store. I accomplished most of my tasks; most-- stores were out of a particular item I was looking for. So, I’ll be looking for that gift the next time I’m out.

We always have a next. It’s the next season, so house and garden stores are overflowing with people looking for plants, shrubs, mulch and pine straw.

It’s the next holiday, and the candy aisle is filled with chocolate and jellybeans.

It’s the next week, and we consult our calendars for appointments.

It’s the next deadline, so I rush to complete a project.

It’s the next due date, and I make sure I pay bills on time.

It’s the next installment of a favorite series. I tune in or record it, so I don’t miss out.

Moving, driving, walking, hurrying… I always seem to run to a next, but what about the now?

When do I stop to enjoy the gift of the now? When do I savor the now? Joni Eareckson Tada wrote about multi-tasking and enjoying the now.  It's a practice worth considering in our multi-tasking and dealing with nexts.

And…this past week, a friend quoted an excerpt from a poem that we studied in college literature.

Earth’s crammed with heaven,

And every common bush afire with God;

But only he who sees, takes off his shoes,

The rest sit round it and pluck blackberries.

           ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh

Seems as if I am getting reminders about enjoying the treasure of the sacred now. 
How about you?  Shall we stop to savor the now, or are we busy looking for blackberries in our next?  

Did You Save Time When You Changed Your Clock?

I heard it in conversation, on radio call-ins, and from email reminders not to be late to church Sunday. “Don’t forget to change your clocks.” Daylight Saving time began Sunday at 2 am. We sprang forward, and in November, we will “fall back”.

Contrary to popular thinking, daylight saving time is not about farmers, but about conserving energy. We get one more hour of daylight in the evening. As spring and summer approach, people can be outside in more daylight. If you’re curious, you can check out other interesting facts about what daylight saving time does and doesn’t do.

We are all interested in saving time. With busy schedules, needs to meet, and things to do, many are left with unfinished tasks and not enough time at the end of a day or week.

Treasures in Moving Costs

As I turned into my neighborhood, I saw a new “For Sale” sign on a front lawn, then a few feet later, spotted another. Two families have made decisions to move. I don’t know if they are moving locally or to another state, whether they are downsizing or making adjustments from a two-story to a one story, or want more space or a larger yard, but they're planning to move.

Moving has been front and center for me in the past few weeks. One daughter is planning a cross-country move, and another a local one. Regardless, they meet moving costs, and they know moving costs.

As for the former, hiring a moving truck can be a costly venture, even when we purge and consolidate-realizing as we pack, we don’t need three frying pans and outgrown clothing. We move to a new house and spend money in paint, light fixtures, and perhaps different furniture to accommodate a new floor plan. We have moving costs.   

Moving doesn’t happen overnight or even in a week. Once we relocate, and leave friends behind, we search for new relationships and essential contacts such as doctors and stores. Box after box is unpacked, closets filled, cupboards lined with shelf paper and we are tired. Moving costs time and emotional and physical energy. Yes, moving costs.