I Had To Stop For Jesus Today

After working all week and a late friday hair appointment I was thinking about what to have for dinner--when for some reason, I realized I had been stopped at the same stoplight for what seemd like an inordinate length of time. I craned my neck to see around the car in front of me. I saw a procession--a local denomination had staged a parade in honor of "holy week" and in front of me marched their jesus carrying his cross, followed by a large group of roman soldiers and a crowd of mourners all marching toward their church building. I thought about Ned's smile when I told him I would have been home sooner but I "had to stop for jesus".
I'd had a busy day and as I thought about it, I realized that the "celebration procession" was the only time I had thought about Jesus since breakfast. I felt ashamed. I know that every day goes better when we start it with some prayer and some quiet time with God and I know that how we act toward others is a testimony of our faith but I felt incredibly sad that His name hadn't been on my lips or in my mind for the past 9 hours. It was an indictment on my soul! I wondered how many days have been like that? and if I could get the denomination to march their procession through my office several times a day.
I had an epiphany. I believe that Jesus is often relegated to the "formal" places in our lives and left out of the rest. By formal places I mean more than our Sunday and Wednesday night worship, I also mean our asking for blessings at meals, our bedtime prayers and our scheduled quiet times with Him---those hours or minutes that we have set aside in our lives--that we have allotted God! When I read the scripture, I learn that He really wants more than that---He wants it to be in my mind throughout the day not just at the beginning and ending as if He were spiritual bookends of my life. He wants to live in my heart, to be what motivates every action, what decides every decision and what defines me as a person, a wife, a mother, a sister, an employee. He wants me to think Him, love Him, LIVE Him~all day everyday. To do so will change my life---it is preparation for my life with Him in Heaven-- preparation for eternity~
Wow! I am so glad I had to stop for Jesus today!

Peace and prayers,
Neva