Holy Week, Scene 4-Spiritual Separation
Garden of Gethsemane
April 5
Out of no where, grief jumped up and bit yesterday morning. Thinking I was doing so well over the loss of my friend, I was rather shocked when the reality of our separation (for now) left me bawling and longing for her. Close friends are such a treasure.
No sun is shining right now. There is moisture in the air and the winds are whipping up on the Lake this morning. Pink and white dogwoods are dancing together and the neighbor's azaleas are a sassy hot pink. Our woods are a wonderful place of retreat and as I looked out to them I thought of the Mount of Olives, a favorite place of retreating for Jesus and his close friends.
In the darkness on the evening of his betrayal Jesus had one request for the disciples and that was for them to pray for him. Jesus knew hard times were at hand and he was disappointed when they fell asleep.
When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.” Luke 22:45-46
Listening to Nancy Leigh DeMoss online she shared, "You can have every other good gift on the face of the earth but if you're not near to God you're miserable."
She went on to quote Jesus' cry of anguish, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" She expressed that the most excruciating pain Jesus endured was spiritual separation from His Father.
A great praise we can have this Easter weekend is that while the reality of earthy sorrows and separations exist and disappointments occur, because of Christ's sacrifice, we do not have to be separated from God! He has promised he will NEVER leave us or forsake us!
That makes me feel like dancin!
