Maundy Thursday

Maundy Thursday. Heavy heart. Though we had a wonderful time with friends over and celebrated Maundy Thursday with a Passover meal, never once, not for one second, did I forget that Matt wasn't there. I was appreciative, however, that our friends brought plain cake with powdered sugar on top for dessert. It was Matt's favorite.

I often wonder, too, what Matt's friends think when they come over to visit. It's a curious situation, as Tim's and my best friends are also the parents of Matt's two best friends. All three of our boys have known each other since infancy, and all of us have been at Bethel (church) for over 18 years. Matt, Josh, and Luke were known as "The Three Amigos." :) *sigh* Such memories.

Yet I am thankful for the sacrifice of Christ. He knew what was coming, but was "obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:8) so that we might live forever with Him. When grief attempts to pull me under, I try to "take captive every thought" (2 Cor. 10:5)  and focus, instead, on eternity, to look up.

I continue to find great encouragement from the Streams in the Desert devotional. The following excerpt is from April 2, "Do Not Yield to Discouragement:"

"Keep looking up--
The waves that roar around thy feet,
Jehovah-Jireh will defeat
When looking up.

"Keep looking up--
Though darkness seems to wrap thy soul;
The Light of Light shall fill thy soul
When looking up.

"Keep looking up--
When worn, distracted with the fight;
Your Captain gives you conquering might
When you look up."


(End of excerpt)

Oh, hasten the day, Lord. Hasten the day.