Triumphal Entry

Years ago my husband and I were on a vacation in Mexico.  We were walking from our hotel through the city to find a grocery store, because I'm frugal, and I like to buy food at grocery stores and not eat out every meal. :)   We noticed that the street was littered with palm fronds.  We followed this trail of palm fronds to a church.  The doors were open and we heard singing.  We thought about what day it was, and we realized that it was Palm Sunday.  We don't speak enough Spanish to really know what had happened, but we imagined that they had reenacted the Savior's triumphal entry into Jerusalem on the Sunday before He died.

My life's experiences have broken my heart.  I never wanted a broken heart, but now that I have one, I can at least try to keep it soft.  A soft heart is not my natural tendency.   I am letting Christ enter my life and my heart in much greater measure than I ever have.

Could I call that Christ's triumphal entry into my life?  Yes, because I need Christ to heal my broken heart through the atonement.  It's that simple.

Without using the atonement, I may become wiser and more educated about addiction.  I may learn how to set and hold boundaries.  I may do counseling, read books, talk to my sponsor and go to meetings.  But, ultimately, only God and Christ can make me whole again.  Only God and Christ can keep my heart soft and forgiving.  I do not have that power.


Isaiah describes Christ's mission: (Isaiah 61:1-3)

"to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;...to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness."

Happy Palm Sunday!