The Fruits of Meaningful Motivation

For weeks I have come to my computer drained and mentally exhausted. The last thing on my mind has been writing in any form other than comments on facebook statuses. I don't even know when I last updated my own status.

Today, however, my mind is buzzing with thoughts and ideas. Things to write, things to do. I sat down and took apart a seam on a dress that is a tad too big for me with plans to take out the original elastic and replace it with a smaller size.

Early last week I set up my formerly exiled sewing machine and resolved to figure out how to use it over the weekend. So today I sat down the with the owner's manual and fiddled around for a few hours and tried a few test stitches, and will hopefully be ready to stitch my dress back up in the next two days. I plan to be able to make a skirt on my own by the end of the summer. Then on to a bean-bag chair. And I'm not kidding. If the bean-bag chair works out, I promise promise promise to post pictures for once in the history of this blog.

I think my energy today is partially from the sunshine and warm weather that has been so impatiently awaited all week. I was cranky about the weather on the way to church because of the cold, cloudy morning, but as we were in the service, the sky transformed from a gray sheet of gloom to a beautiful, open sky of gladness and possibility. It made me happy. It made me rejoice. It made me think of what today means, this day we call "Palm Sunday."

As Jesus entered Jerusalem humbly on a colt, this happened:

"As he was drawing near - already on the way down the Mount of Olives -  the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!" And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, rebuke your disciples." He answered, "I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.""
(Luke 19:37-40)

The book of Mark tells us that the people were tearing leaves off the palm trees and waving them before Jesus as they praised Him, thus the name Palm Sunday. But read that last thing Jesus says in the passage from Luke, his answer to the Pharisees. If we did not praise Him, the rocks would cry out! I felt so much this morning, as the clouds cleared and revealed a great blue sky that God was opening His arms and receiving our praise. The skies themselves were in worship this morning.

I know what I stand for, and I stand for it without fear of rejection or persecution. Even if I am silenced, there are still so many more proclaiming the name of our holy God. The work of God cannot be silenced. He will receive glory. The world can try to silence us, and when the last Christian on earth is put to rest, the earth itself would proclaim the name of God. Imagine the spectacle that would be!