Holy Week

Here I am again, needing to catch you all up on a few weeks of happenings. A lot can happen in a week. Holy Week was one of those weeks.

Monday was our friend, Liz's funeral. I was honored to have the opportunity to dance. It's a really awesome story, so you'll have to bear with me. On Wednesday, the week prior, the day before she passed away, I was driving to the gym with the kids. I was praying for Liz and her family. All of a sudden I had this thought about dancing at her funeral. (We'd been told by hospice that she would probably not make it through the week.) I was just having this conversation with God thinking about what song I would dance to. See, I ministered through dance a lot on our mission trip to Costa Rica with Liz in '06. She often asked me to dance specials as part of worship, and she was really encouraging and supportive of me using that gift for the Lord. The song "I Can Only Imagine" came to mind. It was the song that I danced to the most in Costa Rica, and it also is the perfect song for a homegoing celebration because it ponders what we will do when we are in the presence of God in heaven for the first time. As I was thinking about this, I felt like it was the perfect selection. THEN that very song came on the radio. It was a newer version that Mercy Me released not too long ago and it is so triumphant with added orchestration. I immediately started crying and thanking God for such a sweet and prompt confirmation of what He'd been stirring inside me.

Fast forward to Thursday. We found out that she'd passed. I decided to email her mom, Marian, to tell her what happened on Wednesday, and offer up the possibility of me dancing to honor my friend. I knew she'd be swamped with calls and emails. I didn't expect her to get back to me quickly. I didn't hear anything back, but I knew that it was in God's hands to arrange for it to happen or not. I didn't want to bother Marian or put any undue pressure on her. I could always dance in her honor to that song another day, if it wasn't to happen for her funeral.

Saturday, I worked all morning at our MOMC Consignment sale. (I made more money off this sale than the other two I've sold stuff in! Woohoo!) As I was loading up to leave, I got a text from one of Liz's best friends, Carol, who used to go to our church, and who also went to CR with us. Her text said how excited she was that I was going to dance and that I needed to call her. I was really excited, but a little confused since I had never heard back from Marian.

So, I called Carol. We figured out that Marian must have not emailed me until earlier that day when I was already at the sale. She said that they had talked about having me dance while she and another friend, Lisa, sang "I Can Only Imagine." This was BEFORE they ever got my email!!! She said that when she saw the email that Marian had forwarded her, she went to tears too. That song was the only one Liz had requested by name for her service. Carol, Lisa and Marian had all agreed that they should sing and I should dance, but they just got so caught up in the preparations, that they forgot to get back to me after I emailed.

Well, it all worked out. They sang, and I danced, and it was an honor. Maybe the thought of dancing in church is odd to you, let alone the thought of dancing at a funeral. But I can tell you that it is a sincere form of worship, and it was a way to honor my friend.

Wednesday we prepared for our church's Passover Seder Dinner. It's the first time we've ever hosted one. We have a family in the church that is VERY educated in the Hebrew movement, and they coordinated it. I cooked two massive roasts for the feast and also helped lead the dancing. We danced the "Hine Ma Tov" and the "Kadosh." We had practice Wednesday night for that, as well as practice for Easter Sunday (which I was also dancing for).

Thursday was the actual Seder Dinner. It was fantastic. We learned so much about the Jewish traditions, and why they do what they do at the meal, and what everything symbollized. It was a wonderful way to celebrate Passover.

Friday was another funeral. One of our fellow worship team members' mother passed away. So, I attended that service as well. Later that night we took the kids to their first movie in the theater, RIO. So cute! When we got out the rain started. And there was a tornado warning. And a tornado was spotted north of Cave Springs.

Saturday, we had a 9:30am birthday party at Chuck E Cheese for one of the kids' MDO classmates, and then swimming lessons at the gym. I had to go to Walmart at 7am to get a gift, since I'd put it off. I ended up sitting under the gas station canopy for 20 mins while one of about 10 ridiculous storms blew through. SIDEWAYS RAIN. It was a tiring morning. The kids have been asking to go back to Chuck E Cheese everyday since. Oy!

Sunday, EASTER! Still raining. All day. We had a lovely service. I danced to "In Christ Alone." Went to some friends' house afterward for Easter dinner and indoor egg hunt. Also got to see Tangled. Cute! Got home about 4pm exhausted.

That was Holy Week. Very holy and very full and very emotional in many ways. I hope that you and yours enjoyed a fantastic Easter.