journey onWord with us

What a rough day. No matter which way I turned, nothing seemed to go right. I could have played Alexander in the new version of the movie, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day. But yesterday is over and my pouting needs to end. There are probably days that you also felt like you were auditioning for the role of Alexander. Days that are filled with issues out of our control (and we all like to be in control), remind us of our weaknesses and create a sense of humility (after we adjust our prideful attitudes).  My attitude seemed to turn on a 5-hour car earlier this week. A friend played a song for me that spoke of a pretty rough day in the life of Christ.

My reading the very next morning fell in line with that rough day in the life of Jesus. Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, “Father, save me from this hour”? But this is the very reason I came! Those are Jesus’ words from John 12:27 and it just happens to be the verse I used in the first Sunday school lesson I ever taught. The verse still rings with a clarion call in my mind every time I read it. Christ came for a reason. Nothing would deter His purpose and the sins of mankind weighed in the balance. But He was troubled! And although we could never know the depth of His struggle, I believe the anticipation of separation from the Father and bearing God’s wrath for the sins of mankind caused Him to be deeply troubled.

This song I keep referring to was a song that I had never heard before, from a group I knew very little about (Karen Peck and New River). Picture your rough day and then visualize His rough day … for you and me. Just a couple of stanzas of You Did it Anyway will remind you and I about what that rough day was like.

You prayed to pass the cup
As the angels watched you kneel
You already knew just how the cross would feel
How deep the spear would go
How sharp the thorns would be
And that your father
Would forsake you in your agony

You did it anyway
You walked on up that hill
And the sounds of sacrifice are ringing still
You knew the magnitude
Of the price you’d have to pay
But for me, you did it anyway

Because He did it anyway, all who have a relationship with Christ in salvation can live in peace, even on the roughest of days. He knew what my Alexander day would be like. He cared, and I could have reflected more on His grace, peace and counsel during that earthly, horrible, rotten, no good very bad day. Mike (Alexander) felt the need to control what he couldn’t control, but at the reminder of what my Savior did for me (and you), my perspective began to change. My bad day could never compare … but He did it anyway!

I will have bad days again, and so will you. I hope the words of this song will ring loudly when I start to pout. He hung on the cross, died for our sins, and rose again to give us eternal life and peace on the journey….even on the “Alexander” days!