"It's only March." I've heard it said - and have said it myself - so many times in recent weeks. "It's only March and yet it's cold already." February and March tend to be our hottest months even though the calendar says it should be otherwise. But this year, March has decided to bless us with an unusually early and cool autumn. The night temperatures have dropped and the mornings and evenings are definitely cooler (perfect for walking around the lake after dinner but for how long?). The days can sometimes warm up to a weak semblance of summer, but we are definitely not getting the hot weather that we have in past years. Leaves are starting to turn colour, we've already harvested our pumpkins and tomatoes, and are carefully watching the weather to ensure the kumara (if they did manage to grow - DH has his doubts) are harvested before the first frost.
So much for so-called global warming.
"It's only March." I realise I've been AWOL from this blog for several weeks. I've started a few posts but for various reasons have not managed to finish them. Life has just been busier than usual with almost weekly appointments and tests, all of which have failed to give one iota of evidence that the event that landed me in hospital on my birthday back in January is what the doctors wrote on my discharge notes. In fact, the comment I seem to regularly hear is that "we don't usually see results this good." Unfortunately that diagnosis (and the discharge notes which somehow manage to contain some incorrect information) is now affecting other areas of our life. The two that come immediately to mind relate to medical professionals still insisting I take daily medication for the rest of my natural life despite no evidence that I appear to need it (it's "just in case"), and, when DH and I applied for travel insurance for our upcoming trip to America, we immediately were offered a much higher premium because of my "risk". Frustrating on so many levels, especially for someone who likes to have all the answers.
It seems it is going to remain one of those mysteries of life.
"It's only March" or should I say "It's already March"? With two precious grandbabies due this year, and a colleague who has just recently gone on maternity leave, I have been busy knitting small items as well as organising a group quilt (the latter for said colleague). While the knitting and quilting I enjoy, the group project tended to be a headache (espesically since initially I was only given six days to hand quilt it! Thankfully I was able to negotiate for some more time and ended up with almost three weeks to finish it.) Still, it's done, and she was pleased and it would have remained a secret except for her best friend who also works with us and couldn't not spill the beans pre-presentation day.
But it's already March and I still have more knitting to do. However, I am also aware that I have some flying time coming up, so I'm thinking that if I can't sleep on the plane (and I'm not a good traveler) that at least I can pass the time by knitting (and it might serve to calm my nerves as well).
"It's only March." Yes, and Easter is around the corner. Somehow, we have managed to double-book the weekend. I plead innocence. A while back, our pastor asked us to host a number of students "in April." We readily agreed, not realising until later when we were given the dates that they were actually arriving pre-April. As in Easter Saturday. Easter Friday we are collecting friends from the airport who are visiting from Australia. For just the weekend.
It will be a full house.
Consequently, I have been busily cleaning my house (a big thank you to The Most Adorable Granddaughter#2 who cleaned my skirting boards and looked for more tasks to help). My head tells me that our friends are not coming to see my house (the last time they saw it was pre-renovation days so they have definitely seen it at its worst) but some compulsion tells me I must have it clean or else. The whole thing is not helped by the fact that this last week I collected my new lenses. While it makes it so much easier having progressive lenses and not having to take my spectacles on and off all the time or waste precious minutes looking for them, I had no idea what was lurking in the corners of my home. Now I can see all the dust and grime that I had overlooked in the past. Now I am aware of every single imperfection. I suspect that after Easter, I will not be cleaning the house wearing my spectacles again - not if I want it done quickly anyway.
"It's only March" and yet we are gearing up to remember Easter. It feels so early - and is, apparently, according to the Jewish calendar since this year Passover isn't until the end of April (almost a whole month early). But Easter is set by the full moon (it occurs the first Sunday following the first full moon after the Spring Equinox) and not by the Jewish calendar. To my mind, that's a shame, because as Christians we understand the significance of the Passover to the Last Supper and the Crucifixion and Resurrection, yet it doesn't hinder us from remembering what our Saviour did for us and why.
Coming so early it feels as if we haven't had time to prepare. Yes, there are hot cross buns in the freezer ready to share with guests next weekend (is it really only next weekend?), and there won't be any Chocolate Hunt this year as there won't be any little people around to hunt for chocolate. But the preparation that I'm referring to has nothing to do with the external but the internal. I've "skipped ahead" in my Bible reading plan so that over the next week I will be reading the passages in the Gospels that describe Christ's last week on earth ... but there is something else needed.
Am I going to take time to reflect on the great wonder and significance of this time? A celebration that is arguably even more important than Christmas? Because all of Christianity revolves around the crucifixion and the resurrection. Christmas is important in that we remember that God was made flesh; Easter is important because we remember what He did.
When the disciples only saw the crucifixion, they were defeated and discouraged. They forgot about the circumstances of His birth. But after Resurrection Sunday, they were changed. They had a risen Saviour. He was Lord. They had walked and talked with the Messiah and He was alive! Suddenly they were changed men, and, after Pentecost, filled with power, doubts and fears pushed aside.
Christianity is unique in that it revolves around the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If Jesus hadn't risen from the dead - if He isn't seated at the right hand of the Father - than our entire hope is based on nothing but lies. We would be no better off - in fact, likely worse - than all the other false religions in the world. Our sins would not be forgiven. Jesus' body would have long ago decayed just like that of every other good man who has ever walked this earth. Our faith and our hope would be in vain.
But Jesus did rise again. He paid the price for our sins on the cross, and, because of that, we can be forgiven. But He also came to life again on the third day, and because of that we can have hope. Hope that we will one day meet Him face to face and spend eternity with Him.
So we might not decorate the house or sing carols or exchange gifts. Easter might in many ways be more low key than Christmas. But it is incredibly important and significant and some time considering how we remember wouldn't go astray.
How are you going to prepare for Easter given that it's already March?
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