Passover...

Tomorrow is Palm Sunday, April 5th.  The day we remember that Jesus rode into the city of Jerusalem on a donkey.  It begins the Holy Week leading up to Easter for Christians.  Passover begins at  sundown on April 8th and goes through April 16th. A time of remembrance of their deliverance from slavery in Egypt for Jewish people.  Passover specifically refers to the last of the ten plagues of Egypt, when God passed over Egypt and took the first born of each Egyptian family and any others unless they had the blood of an unblemished lamb on the door frame of their homes.  Easter comes in the middle of Passover this year on the 12th of April. 


So why the history lesson?  Because it has been on my mind a lot lately and tonight they showed The Ten Commandments movie, as is done each year around Easter, and I have just finished sitting through the 3 hours of watching it...again.  It is one of our favorite movies.  It is one of the first movies that my hubby watched as he was learning about God and finding his salvation. 

I remember sitting around the television as my girls were growing up and explaining the movie and the Bible story to them.  God had told His children to prepare to leave.  He had been specific in what to eat and prepare.  He had given instructions as to how to protect themselves when He passed over.  The first born children inside the homes with blood on the doors would be saved.  Spared from death and set free from bondage by the blood of the lamb.  

I also remember the questions about "why".  Why would God do that to people?  Why would he allow people to suffer and even die?    And I remember the eerie feeling as the "angel of death" passed over the homes in Egypt. That grey fog, creeping through the streets and the wailing heard as the plague took the first born in the homes not covered with the blood, would make my girls fearful and sad. I also remember the fear that some of those inside the homes covered by the blood still showed as they worshiped and prayed throughout the night.   They had to know that God was moving for them, protecting them, freeing them, as they prepared for what would come next.  What would morning bring? 

I don't have all the answers to why...but I do know that God is a good god and He is in control no matter what.  I don't like thinking that bad things happen as a punishment or as a way to get our attention, but when I read the Bible I find many times that God allowed things to happen to help bring His people back to Him.  It took ten plagues to get Pharaoh's attention.  I like to believe that if Pharaoh's heart had not been so hard toward God's people that maybe his people would not have had to suffer so much before he listened to God. 

So am I saying that this is a plague and we are being punished?  No.  I am not.  However, I can see a great comparison to the story of Moses.  Before this current situation the bickering and negativity towards people was great!  You couldn't get on any social media without seeing something about the election and it usually included a lot of mud slinging.  It just seemed that everything was filled with hate and had someone tearing down somebody else or criticizing how or why something was done.   It just wasn't a very happy place.  I also can't help but wonder about what would have happened to those first born of Israel if they had been hard headed and stubborn and not followed God's instructions of painting their doors with the blood of an unblemished lamb or if they had decided that they did not have to stay inside when the plague passed through their neighborhood.  

But today isn't much better...right?  Well, the virus has certainly made things crazy and if you watch too much television/news, you will feel like the world is ending and we will never ever go back to some kind of normal.  I wonder if the Israelites felt this way too as the first nine plagues rained down on Egypt.  Did they wish for the normal days of hard labor and slavery instead of the suffering they endured during the plagues?   I know I have felt those things and I have to fight hard to not get sucked into the doom and gloom and live there.  The stories of stores closing, people losing their jobs, all the new rules that come with just trying to go to the store, the lack of tp (yes, that is still an issue), and the constant update of new cases of the virus and number of deaths is all enough to make anyone feel overwhelmed.

When I start feeling those overwhelming feelings I have to start looking for the good that is going on.  Turn off the negative.  Log off the constant flow of emotions, and focus on what is good.  I also have learned to find the lesson in the trials.  What am I figuring out during this time?  What is being reset in my life during this time out?  What is important in my life?  What is God teaching me?  I know for one that I am going to live with more gratitude and not take simple things like going to work or seeing my parents or kids, for granted.  I also am going to continue making time for me instead of living at work.  And...my relationship with God needs to improve.  I won't take for granted the ability to join together with other Christians and worship.  

Look at what is happening around us now.  People are actually talking to each other instead of being too busy to look up.  Families are having dinner together and playing games.  Children are learning from their parents.  Parents are home more and not being pulled in a 100 different directions.  Children are getting time to be children.  Churches are reaching out via the internet and finding new ways to connect.  I know of several people who have logged onto the online worship services that have not been inside a church building in years.  There are so many people who are taking extra steps to help others.  We had groceries delivered to us during the first week of social distancing.  My mom and several other ladies are sewing face masks for medical personnel and first responders.  Companies are changing up their normal jobs to make what is needed most for right now.  People are reading books to children online.  Teachers are still teaching, children are still learning.  Life has slowed down and people have started checking on those they haven't gotten to talk to in awhile.  Communities are supporting one another and figuring out ways to take care of those who are unable to work right now.  They are even talking about prayer on the news.  God has to be moving.  Drawing us back into a closer walk with him and to loving one another.

I don't know when this new normal will go back to something we remember, but I hope when it does that we hold on to some of the new, good things, that we have learned.  Maybe we will be a kinder generation.  Maybe we will remember that we are "all in this together" and that "together we will get through this" time of trouble.  Call it a test, a trial, a pandemic, a plague, but whatever you may call it remember that God is with us as we go through it.  Some days the struggle is real.  The isolation is too much.  The television or computer have outworn their welcome.  The rain just will not stop.  The people you are cooped up with are about to drive you crazy.  You may wonder if the sun will ever shine again and if we will ever get to just relax and go back to living life together.  I pray those things happen for us soon, but honestly, I have no idea what the future holds.  However, I do know who has made a promise to be with us through whatever may come. 

There are several things that many are doing to help unite us during this time of Passover and Easter.  The Palm Sunday idea is posted at the beginning of this post.  Another idea has been to tie a red ribbon on your door to represent the covering of the blood of the lamb that we share as Christians, as we go into the season of Passover and Easter.  Praying also for His deliverance from this virus and the fear that many feel is also being suggested.  One thing I believe we all can do...even through face masks, is smile at people.  Make eye contact and speak to others.   Say "hello" when you see people.   Do not let a spirit of fear destroy who we are as people.  


Blessings...
Denise