Easter Sunday

Happy Easter!

It happens without fail - every year those C.M.E. (Christmas, Mother's Day and Easter) folks show up at church. Our church is a five-minute drive from our house, including parking. But knowing that we would have tons of "visitors" today, the plan was to leave earlier than usual to make sure we were able to sit in our regular seats.

For some reason, that I won't get into in my blog to spare the embarrassment of a certain someone (but it had to do with a slow poke who had trouble tying his bowtie) we left home 10 minutes later than planned. The streets were clogged. The parking lots were full. By the time we made it into the church, the choir was already singing. And as if we needed another sign that our usual seats had already been taken, there was a line of people waiting to get into the sanctuary. 

The lower level was full and we were asked to find a seat in the balcony. We've never sat in the balcony before and I was upset that we were forced to sit there on Easter Sunday with the other late people. As we sat on the second level, my eyes moved down to the main level, trying to see who was sitting in "my" seat. We don't have assigned seats at church, but most people do sit in at least the same row every Sunday.

After enviously looking down at the people who were on time enough to get a good seat, I glared at the people sitting around us, wondering how many were actually regulars or C.M.E. visitors. I also glared at the bowtie man who made us late.

Then, it dawned on me that I was sitting in church on Easter Sunday angry. I had forgotten that God didn't have to wake me up this morning to even see another Easter Sunday. I had forgotten that it's a blessing every time someone has the desire to attend church, whether they are a regular or C.M.E. visitor. I was giving the devil glory by sitting in church mad that we had to sit in the balcony, taking all the glory away from God.

I relaxed and took a deep breath and spent the rest of the service honoring the Man I was there for. 

Happy Easter!