When I was growing up I always looked forward to Palm Sunday, the Sunday before Easter. I loved going to church to collect my palm branch later turning it into a cross or braiding it and keeping it displayed for the next whole year somewhere in our house. We lived in Indiana, you didn't quite see palm trees on a regular basis, if at all unless you were vacationing somewhere warm.
At my age it seems like such a trivial thing to have gotten excited about, especially since I am not really sure at the time I even completely knew what it signified, sure they were fun to receive and make into something and all my friends were doing it... lol. From the bible stories I learned in my church education classes I could picture Jesus riding into a big town on a very small donkey as people crowded around on either side waiving palm branches at him, sort of like a one-man parade.
Did I realize that palm branches are a symbol of pride and victory, did I understand that him riding in on an unbroken donkey colt instead of a white horse, symbolized that his victory was to bring peace between man and God not a victory over a nation. As an adult and owner of horses, I do now know what it means to ride in gently on an un-broke horse- horses/donkeys/mules take careful training to be able to be ridden when they have never been ridden before! How significant that this man, this leader could climb upon a baby untamed donkey and just ride like he had done for years.
Many people through Jesus' miracles trusted he was the prophesied Messiah, many thought he was a fake and others thought he was too powerful, they were afraid and jealous and wanted to put a stop to him threatening their rule over the nation. Those people killed him within the week of him being honored as a humble king.
This the whole time was in God's plan, was it what Jesus as a man wanted to be the result of his existence, probably not... can you imagine being sacrificed for the greater good of everyone else? None of us are that self-less. WOW! Just WOW that this man was.
When he was put to death on the cross, a plan that he knew from the very beginning and a huge undertaking that only he could partake in, to save the sins of the world. But the human in him still cried out on that cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me."
Do you ever feel like a task you have is just too big, expectations of you are just too much and you are just plain exhausted. Do you ever push back from some nagging feeling of something you are suppose to fulfill but you just can't possibly think could get done, your energy is so low and you just want to give up? Maybe no one believes in your goals and you feel unsupported and defeated. But I will tell you God is there, cheering you on, willing to give you what is needed to move forward, even when no one here on Earth will. You just need to reach out to Him and pull Him in your corner, let Him in your circle and trust the He will stay if you let Him.
Never will you experience something as BIG as what Jesus did, however, sometimes we have a nagging on our heart strings to serve God in some way or to make a change, but our fear, our doubt and our supposed limitations get in the way. This is God calling on you to do something for him, something bigger, something you may think is unimaginable, something we cannot do by ourselves.... but believe me, with His help and His guidance anything is possible. Let Him guide you through it, it may not be easy but it may be part of a bigger plan you never thought imaginable, not only for you but those around you. Learn to trust in Him and the results will follow according to his Word. Can it be a scary experience? Sure, will it be worth it in the end, you betcha, can we possibly imagine the extent of the outcome? Maybe never... but I am a firm believer that everyone on this earth has a purpose to fulfill no matter how small before they can be rewarded in eternal Heaven.
Take this week to reflect on what you truly want out of life, how you can use your skills and talents for the greater good of humanity and what steps you need to take to fulfill those internal desires, what better time to reflect, to be still and to listen to what God has planned for your life then being placed at home hopefully a safe place for you to restore your connection with Him and His desires for you.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. - Psalm 23:2-3 NKJV
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