Auto Repair Shop Owner's Daily Dose 21: Palm Sunday (Faith)

Palm Sunday by Rick White, President 180BIZ

Today is Palm Sunday and as a Christian, this is a very, very special day for us. This is where Jesus came into Jerusalem as a conqueror, as a King. This is when they were putting the palms and cloaks down in front of him.  I think there's a lesson here.  He realized what was going on. He knew what was going to happen. I saw the movie a while back with Mel Gibson called The Passion of Christ. That is a movie I watch every year right around this time of year.

Christ comes in as a conqueror, as a Victor into Jerusalem. They think he's going to be the next King. They see big things. They misunderstood the prophecies and thought that he was going to overthrow the Roman government. So how quickly did it turn?

I was driving by one of our churches yesterday. Do you know how they put the signs up? I love those signs. Some of them are so inventive. Anyway, I saw this sign and it said, “Jesus carried your cross.” And I started thinking about that.  I thought Jesus wasn't carrying his cross. He didn't earn that. He was carrying my cross.  And instead of us being up there nailed to the cross, it was him. He took our place.

That's how much God loves us. And that's what I want to really get across here.  We're going through all of this virus thing and we're freaking out like little children. When if we could just embrace our father and see the love that he has for us, then we would know. It says in Isiah, “Do not fear for I am with you.” If you ever feel like God has pulled away from you, it isn't God. It is you pulling away. It is you shutting off it. You’re putting a wall up and it's stopping God from coming in.

God gave us the gift of free will. That is what makes us different from any other species. That is how we are created in his image to be able to create and have freewill. Now the amazing thing about this is God still turns ashes into beauty with our freewill. That’s so amazing. But instead of looking at this situation that we're going through right now and feeling like we're alone and isolated, understand that we're not alone. We're never alone. Our heavenly father is right there with us.

I think of that poem, about footprints on the sand and how there was only a single set of footprints. That was when Jesus was carrying you. How amazing is that? We have to open ourselves up to it and realize that God loves us so much that he let his son carry our cross for each one of us.

I have this vision when I saw that movie, The Passion of Christ. It’s very graphic and it is not for the faint of heart, but it accurately depicted what I believe Jesus went through from the time that he was betrayed at the Garden Gethsemane all the way to the crucifixion. And I truly believe that he could see each and every one of us. I believe that he could see all the stuff we do wrong, all this stuff we do that’s bad and how separated we are from God through sin. He put himself there and still allowed it to happen. He could have snapped his fingers and had the angels there and to stop the whole thing at any time.  But he didn't.  He put himself through what we should have been put through. Justice is getting what we deserve. Mercy is not getting what we deserve. Grace is us getting what we don't deserve, and that grace is all around us.

I'm telling you, stop staring at this virus. Stop staring at the future. That's so unknown. Make your plans and do your thing. And if you need help with that, let me know. But make your plans. Then focus on now. Focus on today. Focus on the relationships you have. Focus on the blessings that are in your life. Focus on all the stuff that's amazing. You have a roof over your head. You have food in the refrigerator, you hit a light switch and the lights come on. You can turn the TV on.

We have so many blessings. Remember to look at them. We've got to force ourselves to look at them those blessings. Do you watch NASCAR?. I am a NASCAR and Dale Earnhardt fan. But why do I bring that up? It’s just like when a car starts to skid, and it starts to spin out of control. People start to stare at the wall. They say, “I don't want to hit the wall. I don't want to hit the wall. I don't want to hit the wall.” Well, guess what they do? They hit the wall. You know how many times you're on a strip on a road in a desert and there's a telephone pole, every half mile. Do you know how many people hit those polls? Many. Because when they lose control of the car, the first thing they think is, “I don't want to hit the pole. I don't want to hit the pole. I don't want to hit the pole.”  

We must stop staring at what we don't want. We must start staring at what we do. Don't stare at the wall. Stare at where you want to go. And understand that you're not alone. Understand that God has you tattooed on the palm of his hand and he loves you. You are unique and so special to him. I truly believe, and this might be a little warped, but I believe love is like a giant crystal to God. I believe love is just this giant crystal and each one of us makes up a single facet of that love because we are all unique. We are all special. There has never been another one like you. There will never be another one like you. I think that's so amazing. So, I know you're doing your best, but I'm asking you to stop staring at the wall.

This is the holiest week of the whole year. Christians, this is a time for celebration. This is a time for reflection.  This is a time to understand just how much God loves us. We are not alone. We are never alone, and we are magnificently and beautifully made.  Jeremiah 29:11, “For I know the plan I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” And I believe that with every fiber of my being.

Tip for Today. If you have daylight today, find a quiet place. I have a creek down the bottom of our hill here and it's so peaceful just to listen to the water trickle by. I'm going to ask you to find a place where you can sit for five, ten, or even fifteen minutes and just have some quiet time. I promise you, if you ask questions, you're going to get answers. The answers aren’t going to come from outside sources.  They’re going to come from deep inside of your heart.  The answers are going to help you get through this.

Understand that there are angels all around you right now. We adopted a dog a year ago. Lucky. He's five years old. He is sitting on top of the sofa right looking out the window now because I'm outside.  He is an angel. Every morning he wakes up and he is just so happy. My grandchildren are angels. They get up in the morning, it's another day. Don't let what's going on, the events, situations, and circumstances that you can't control, dictate the level of joy you experience today and every day going forward.  So, get five, ten, or fifteen minutes by yourself. Think, listen, and ask questions.  I promise it's going to make a difference. You're going to feel more at peace. You can read your Bible a little bit. I'm going to ask you to watch that movie, The Passion of Christ. I want you to really see how much Jesus went through for you. For me. I don't want to say for us because that's too big. He did it for you. He did it for me.

I’ll end with a real quick prayer. Heavenly Father, thank you so much for this beautiful day. Thank you for the gift of life today. Help me to see someone that needs a helping hand and encouraging word. Help me to be that angel today. Lord, please give me the strength to get through this, to be there for everybody that needs me, and help us to be that bright light in our communities. Heavenly Father, for those that are sick, please watch over them. Give them peace and heal them if it's your will. Thank you so much for the gift of your son and for the love you have for us all the time. God is good all the time. Thank you, Lord. I asked for this in your son’s mighty name. Amen.

There we go. We're done. Have a blessed Sunday. Please share this video if you found it to be helpful. God bless. Have a great day. See your blessings.