Maundy Thursday has come upon us <3

Here we are, at Maundy Thursday.

 In the home of my origin, this was a big deal day. We would be going to church tonight for a somber service. We would also be going tomorrow night for an even more somber service. 

My mom would not have served meat tomorrow and we would have been reminded before we left for school that morning to pause at 3:00 and remember. 

After the service there was a somewhat serious mood that settled making Saturday feel a little like we were waiting for something big but it wasn’t here yet. We would color eggs at some point and no matter how careful we were, the tips of our fingers would carry the stain for several days. 

On Sunday all changed, except for the lingering color on our hands. 

There would be eggs and baskets hidden around the house. (I know…what does that have to do with Jesus dying on the cross for my sins, but it was a spirit of joy and celebration and I know that was the heart of it.)

We had new dresses and hats with a vicious narrow elastic string that would be digging into the neck by the end of church that morning. We had patten leather shoes and ankle socks with ruffles no matter the temperature outside. 

After church we would eat a big lunch and play and nibble on the treats in our baskets. Bunny ears, first, always. 

Fast forward to today.

 Our church doesn’t do the Maundy Thursday. We are so busy, I barely even feel like I have mustered a good somber moment to reflect. 

It’s not just us that is busy.

 It’s the world around us. 

I know so much about everyone near and far. 

The world of my childhood centered around what I could process. I can’t process all that is going on with friends, acquaintances, our town, our state, our country and beyond. 

But it is all dumped regularly in my lap through news and social media and just daily life out there. 

And that is the world Jesus died for. 

The stain on fingers and souls is what He came to cleanse. 

He is the only One who can. 

He knows the world I live in and the times into which I was born. 

He knows my heart and even as I struggle to find some quiet place to reflect, He is already there holding me and sharing the moment. 

So as I eat a salad with the right amount of protein to give my body the strength it needs without the calories it doesn’t, I will ponder the last meal He shared on earth. 

And yes, mom, it will be tuna. I can at least control that <3