I Know How It Ends

"Today is the day..."  A wise nurse came into the room and saw defeat and discouragement.  I had the  privilege of participation in the arrival of a new baby.  The first day of labor hadn't gone as my friends had  planned.  The nurse woke us to begin day 2.  She knew the mother to be needed an attitude adjustment.  She announced that this was the arrival date.  It became our cheer for the day.  When progress didn't appear to be  made we reminded each other it was going to happen.

Jesus sat astride  His "first timer" colt and  rode into Jerusalem.  A large crowd gathered and put down cloaks and branches on the road.  The crowd shouted "Hosanna" and "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord" and "Blessed is the coming of the Kingdom." (Mark 11: 6-11)

The Gospel of Matthew adds that people in the crowds asked who was on the colt.  The answer was "Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee!" The Gospel of Luke adds that the disciples and crowd with Jesus rejoiced for all the miracles they had seen.  John adds that included in Jesus' crowd were those who had seen Lazarus raised from the dead. According to the Gospel of John  the disciples did not realize that all of what happened fulfilled prophecy. Later, when Jesus had come back to life, the importance of the details of the event became clear to them.

The disciples did not know this was the beginning of the most challenging week of their life.  They thought the kingdom they had longed for was about to begin.   They thought they knew it all and had it all.  Then they would seemingly lose it all and be devastated.  Yet the week ends with the event that changed the world as they understood it.

I've had those days, weeks and seasons when I feel like I'm on a roller coaster not under my control.  These verses remind me to adjust my attitude toward my challenges.

Trust Him. Jesus knows The End.  In the end- Jesus wins!  Sometimes to make it through life's challenges we need a glimpse of the end result.  I never read the end of a mystery to see who did it.  But I have read the end of the Bible and guess what?  Jesus wins, vanquishes, rewards and has a place for me!

Proclaim Him. Everything that happens in my roller coaster life is an opportunity to tell people about Jesus so it matters in the "Big Picture"  I don't have to completely understand theology to share Jesus. The crowd thought He was just a great prophet.  Later some of them understood He was The Messiah they needed.

Remember Him. Recall what Jesus has done for me in the past.  He can handle the current challenge. Jesus has The Plan, not me.

It is no coincidence that the chain reference in my Bible mentions Psalm 118.  That psalm is my new favorite read for the challenges of my life.  It has  it all, even "this is the day... rejoice..."