Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Holy

My name is Charlie, and I'm a compulsive overeater.

::Hi, Charlie!::

It's Holy Week. For Christians throughout the world, this is an incredibly important time of the year. It's sacred, set apart, a time to reflect on what, for us, brings our life purpose and meaning.

Jesus lived. Jesus died. Jesus rose again. In Him, I die - my flesh is crucified with Him. And in Him, I rise again - I rise with Him to new life, to new meaning and purpose, to new joy, to new hope, to a fuller living experience. And in some mysterious way, I enter the Kingdom of God now. I participate in the everlasting life to come right now.

I may be overwhelmed with preparations for Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. I may be pulling out my hair prepping for choir practices, band and orchestra rehearsals, narration, pageantry, lighting and media, and all the human drama that goes into working at a church during a very busy time of the year. Yes, I had a hard time even getting a deep breath yesterday, and I wanted to cry on more than one occasion. 

And yet.

Jesus lived. Jesus died. Jesus rose again. And as I surrender to the new life that He births in me, I can abstain - one day at a time - from compulsive overeating. 

Thanks be to God for DAY TEN. A fresh start, a new beginning. Peace, joy, hope and new life to ALL of you: Christian, atheist, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, Wiccan, agnostic, Hindu. Happiness. Joy. Freedom.