March 25 – “She’s my cousin”

I spent the entire morning yesterday working on the teaching and setup for our Palm Sunday worship.  We’re doing a Body Life service where everyone has a chance to share what God has been doing in his life through a favorite scripture or a song or a story or a personal testimony or dance (Yep, we’ve had that one in the past.  We’ve also had a bonsai tree and an entire painting done during the service).  The feedback I have been getting seems to indicate a desire for the next installment in our Words of Jesus from the Cross series as well.  That means figuring out a way to work everything together without having the service last all afternoon.  I would be fine with that if the Holy Spirit is at work.  I just don’t want it to be my fault. 

The whole time I was toiling at the computer, Chris was outside weeding flower beds.  She really has the “It’s Spring and I need to be outside” Bug.  I finally joined her for a little while in the afternoon.  Now I can at least say I helped.  I have to say, the yard looks phenomenal when she gets through with it.  Green thumb on that girl.  I never got around to mowing the grass, though.  Guess that’ll be on my agenda for later in the week.  It hit me yesterday that we have done something in the yard two days in a row this, the week before Palm Sunday, and we have yet to cut any palm branches for making palm crosses.  I have 100 of those to make this week, plus 100 small palm fronds to trim up.  Outside, here I come. 

We had to stop everything for a while around 3:00, though.  Nathan and April are baby-sitting an extra two-year-old little girl while her Mommy (April's cousin) has another baby.  The Mom is high-risk, so how long the extra little one is around is kind of up in the air.  Nathan called and asked if we could go pick up Cailyn from school.  Seems his little charge had just fallen asleep and he really didn’t want to wake her up unless he had to.  How could we refuse?  Cailyn was happy to see us, and she even seemed still caught up in the spirit of the adventure of having an extra person in the house.  The adventure was still new to her, so there didn’t seem to be any traces of jealousy yet.  She even said that when the little one wakes up, “she comes over and hugs me, not Mommy or Daddy.”  She also whispered to Chris, “She has to sleep with me, can you believe that?”  I’m not sure if that is “big sister” mode since I have never been or lived with one.  Cailyn is quick to correct any such misconception, though.  Make no mistake … “She’s my cousin.”

Proverbs 23:15-16 says, “My son, if your heart is wise, then my heart will be glad; my inmost being will rejoice when your lips speak what is right.”

Father, give Nathan and April some extra energy this week as they care for their extra little one.  Watch over the youngster’s Mommy and the new baby.  Amen.