Out of place
They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered,
they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
Luke 24:2-3 NIV
Did you put some stuff away today?
I put away a load of dishes, and most of them are already dirty again. I ran the laundry and sorted it; I didn't get any of it put away. I moved some shoes back to their home in the kitchen corner. They've stayed put so far, only because the feet they belong to are in bed. I grabbed a few things at the store, none of which were given a home.
We spend a lot of our lives putting things where they belong. I'm pretty sure I spent a major portion of my childhood NOT putting away anything my mom requested. As a young adult and newlywed, I did a fairly decent job giving things a spot and keeping them in, or returning them to, their place. As a mom, I spend a lot of my day putting things away only to have them end up on the floor of the next room moments later.
I started thinking about this back in March, on an unexpected warm day, when winter was trying to decide if it was actually leaving or not. See what I found under the tree in the backyard? That cup of crayons and markers was definitely not put away last fall.
And it occurred to me: Maybe we need to have some things out of place as a reminder to thank the Lord for the times he's had things "out of place."
That first Easter morning, Mary and the women went to the tomb to find the stone was not where it belonged. And Jesus' body was not where they left it!
If everything that morning had been neat, orderly and in its place, we would be living without a resurrected Christ. And without the option to spend eternity in heaven, where God wants us but we don't really belong as long as we're carrying our sin around.
Tomorrow I'll put away more dishes, more laundry, more shoes, and more crayons. Will you join me in lifting your heart in praise as you put things away, too?
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