Every week I hear or read someone saying, “so glad it’s Friday!” We live for Friday which kicks off the weekend. It is the end of the week. The beginning of what we believe will be fun, exciting, new, restful and wonderful.
This Friday, Good Friday, however, has a whole different view or does it? We put so much HOPE in Friday as a beginning to a weekend full of promise and hope. Today is a monumental day in history that the Christian faith sets aside to remember the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. Why did Jesus “have to die”? He didn’t. He chose to die and there is a big difference between “have to” and “chose to”.
In our own lives when dealing with really dark and tough things, our words can impact how we process. I am always amazed when I am with someone who has the most wonderful outlook when walking a journey of great pain. There is a story of a man in a rest home who had his bed beside a window. He would often talk to his room mate about all the beautiful things he could see out the window. The flowers blooming. The birds on the ledge and the beautiful fluffy clouds floating in the sky. He would also talk about the people he would see in the courtyard visiting with their loved ones. He spoke with great hope and joy every time he would share with his room mate who could not see outside the window because his bed was too far away. Then one day the man who had been sharing all the beautiful details of the world outside passed away. The other man asked the nurses if they would please move him to the window side of the room. He was so excited to be able to see all that his room mate had been describing all these years. The nurse replied, “sure thing”. The man was so excited because he was going to be able to witness all the wonderful beauty. When he was moved, he looked out the window and all he saw was a tall brick wall. There were no flowers, birds or courtyard! The man was so upset. He called to the nurse and shared his frustration. The nurse then shared with the man that his room mate who had been sharing all the wonderful things with him over the years was actually blind.
We get to choose how we see the world. Hope is not an emotion or feeling. It is simply a choice. We are in life because of the choices we make and it all starts with how we see the world. More of what we expect flows to us. Even in the gravest and darkest moments, we have HOPE (the choice to believe) that Easter Sunday is coming. It is a celebration that Jesus “chose to” offer his life as a sacrifice just for us. And, all we need to do is believe. God offers free will (choice) to believe.
What is good about Friday? It’s all good because Sunday is coming. And that is good news! Until next Friday . . .
