Whole Heart Devotion

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