Whole Heart Devotion

When called on to pray in my sweet Sunday School class on Easter Sunday, I found myself choking up as I thanked God for a resurrected Savior who is sitting in Heaven at His Father's right hand. I reflected that Jesus is just waiting at God's side for the command to go call God's children home.  My heart was likely recalling the memorable words of the gospel song, " Midnight Cry ," that reminds believers that we will hear the sound of a heavenly trumpet that will trigger our journey to our forever home. But my thoughts were also drawn to the recent memory of my son sharing his handwritten Last Will and Testament with me. The occasion was out of the blue and I questioned whether or not I even wanted to open the leather-bound journal that he offered me. No mother expects their eighteen year-old son to take the time to itemize their assets, beneficiaries, and ultimate wishes.  I read through tear-filled eyes about the distribution of his assets to the places and peopl

About a week ago, I shared with my husband that I didn't feel spiritually prepared for Easter. Though I do not religiously practice Lent with the same fervency that some communities of faith do, I typically use those forty days as a time of mental preparation to fix my focus on the incalculable brutality of the cross, the stillness of Saturday, and the magnitude of the resurrection. I try my best to feel and experience the realities of Easter before this sacred holiday becomes just another day gone-by on the calendar.  But I have felt mentally, emotionally, and spiritually ill-prepared this year.  I began to wonder what stole my attention from the one occasion that sets my faith apart from every other religion in the world. I could easily blame my failure to focus on a litany of things:  The ongoing journey of post-transplant life,  The never-ending COVID-19 pandemic that continues to affect us all,  Or the normal ups and downs of life, like shifting relationships, work stress, or