Devotional 3-5-13

THE LINEN CLOSET As the season of Lent gets closer to Maundy Thursday and Good Friday it becomes a very sad time for me and, no doubt, for many Christians as we contemplate Jesus' crucifixion. We celebrate Palm Sunday and the triumphant entry into Jerusalem only to be reminded of humanity's fickleness as the crowd turns upon Jesus and seeks His death.

Just a few weeks ago I happened upon something in my linen closet of all places which reminded me that after death comes the risen life. The linen closet is not one I explore very often. After all, what does it need except to keep the towels and sheets neatly arranged and act as a depository for a few things that don't belong anywhere else. I decided to find out what few things were hiding on the back shelf and I came upon a glass bowl that seemed to be filled with dirt and had a few brown paper-like stubs in it.

I stared at the bowl for a few minutes and then I remembered that two or three years ago I had planted some daffodil bulbs in the glass bowl after they had bloomed and then looked for a really dark spot to place them in until the following spring. Yes, you guessed it, I completely forgot about them.

I took the bowl and placed it in a sunny window not really expecting to see any change in the little brown stubs but, lo and behold, in a few days I saw tiny green shoots coming up and now the bowl is filled with green leaves. Soon the flower buds will appear.

What a reminder that after Good Friday comes Easter Sunday. Life triumphs over death! Hallelujah! The scripture that comes to my mind is Psalm 30, especially verse five, "...weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning." (KJV).

As we journey through Lent let us remember that life and God's love will always triumph.

Jean Dean