Rubber Boots and All

Every time we go outside these days my 4 year old daughter exclaims; "I smell spring Mommy!"  And she is right.  The sights, sounds and smells of nature all around us indicate that spring has sprung which means that Easter is fast approaching.
As joyful as this season makes me feel, there is a side to it that I don't delight in.  Along with the blooms, buds, and birds there is a lot of mud being tracked into my house by little boots and shoes.  An awful lot. 
Cleaning up the latest mess this morning I was tempted to grumble.  However I am trying not to get hung up on the little things in life so instead I determined to focus on the absolute beauty of the day.
In doing so, I was struck by the contrast before me; the dirtiness of my floors in comparison to the absolute sparkling beauty of the morning outside.
Which got me thinking about Easter and just what a season of tremendous contrasts it really is;

• life and death
• darkness and light
• sacrifice and blessing
• extreme suffering and miraculous grace.

I have celebrated Easter for almost 4 decades, almost at the risk of complacency. 

But after this morning, my perspective on this most Holy season has been renewed.

Thank you Jesus for using the every day things in my life to teach me and draw me closer to you; sunshine and dirt, muddy rubber boots and all.

Who Do I Think I Am?

NBC's acclaimed series "Who Do You Think You Are?" follows some of today's most beloved and iconic celebrities as they embark on personal journeys of self-discovery to trace their family trees.

While I have never watched the show I am intrigued. 

The other night I watched a preview of the episode in which Gwyneth Paltrow discovers that her great-great-great-great (and maybe even great!) grandfather was a prominent Rabbi and Master of Kaballah.  Paltrow, who is shown to be clearly affected by this discovery, appears reflective and then admits that she herself is "spiritually curious" and a follower of the religion.  The clip leads viewers to assume that this discovery about one of her ancestors strengthens Paltrow's faith in some of the choices she is making in her life today. 

In addition to some of the shocking pieces of their past history that the star's uncover, it's the show's title that really grabs me. 

Who do I think I am?

I actually know very little about my family's past.  My paternal grandparents were born in Scotland and my maternal great-grandparents hailed from Ireland.  Other than that, I only know bits and pieces about their lives.  If I knew more, would that change anything?

No.

Because who I am is not based on my family's past but on the saving grace of Jesus that I received as a little girl at the tender age of eight when I surrendered both my heart and life to Him.

Thankfully I don't have to dig deep into my past to know who I am.  As Beth Moore reminds us so beautifully in her book, Believing God, this is who a follower of Jesus is; adopted, blessed, redeemed, forgiven, chosen and loved. 

Regardless of our past.

Yesterday. 

Today. 

Forever.