Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Washing Feet and a Sweet Fragrance

I have to double up on posts tonight because I don't plan on being online on Good Friday, and I want to write about each day of this week.

Tonight we'll be reading the story of how Mary broke the expensive jar of perfume over Jesus. Then we'll read about how Jesus washed His disciples' feet before the Last Supper. We'll talk about what this means for us: how our gifts to Him should mean something and be costly to us and how we should be servants to others.

We're going to light a scented candle and smell its sweet fragrance. We're going to take sweet-smelling Easter lilies to some neighbors and maybe some elderly people from church.

(By the way, we'll be reading the stories from this. It's awesome. I highly recommend it.)

As always, when teaching my children, I learn myself. Do I go out of my way to give sacrificially to Him? (For me, this is less about money and more about doing things with which I may be uncomfortable.) When I am doing my jobs, particularly as wife and mom, am I grumbling and seething internally about yet more laundry or dirty dishes or am I emulating the King, who wrapped a towel around His waist, knelt down, and graciously wiped the muck from His students' feet?

As I smell the scent of lilies or as I change that nth diaper, I pray that my life is a sweet act of service.

1 comment:

Alysa said...

I got the Bible you mentioned right before coming to Canada (an answer to prayer), and then opened it for the first time this morning with both kids on my lap. MOVING - it is FANTASTIC and will now be my standard gift to give people with new babies - i was moved to tears in just the first few pages - thanks for the recommendation!