Fritz gets shortchanged on time alone with me, his chosen Human. I admit my failings in that area. We'd have no issue if he got along with Faith, the Upstairs Princess. He wants to kill her instead. Oh, well. Fritzburg, his domain, is not such a bad place. He likes it.
I usually give him a few hours a day of petting and play time, when I feed him and whenever else I can. I'll split this time around my work schedule. Sometimes he gets more time before my work shift, sometimes after I get home. In any case, he prefers the TV on.
Snow fell here a few days ago, at the start of Holy Week. Blizzards are nothing new around the Great Lakes in April, so I gave the white stuff no real thought other than it being a good reason to dye Easter eggs. How cruel, to send kids out into the yard to find white eggs in the snow! Unless parents just need to get them out of the house for a couple of hours... or weeks...
Anyway, a day or so after the snowfall, I searched the internet for a Fritz-y distraction – we've gotten rid of expensive cable TV. I found a little something I thought might be amusing given the recent weather: Winter Wonderland for Your Home, Snowy Scenery.
I turned turned the program on for laughs. I got an epiphany instead.
Music accompanied the video of snow falling on already covered pine trees, creek banks, and mountains. The pictures were beautiful.
The tunes were Christmas music.
At first, I thought listening to Christmas music in mid April felt odd. The first song was We Wish You a Merry Christmas. I expected stuff like Let It Snow, Sleigh Ride and the like, to follow. I realized as I listened, though, that only two of the nearly dozen tunes were secular.
All the rest were songs of the Christian faith.
Joy To the World, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful – songs of hope, anticipation and exaltation washed over me. I embraced the Christmastime bliss of the coming of the Lord. At the same time I was keenly mindful of the gravity of His hanging on the cross on Good Friday.
I was struck – not for the first time, but more powerfully than ever – by how much God loves us. He sent His own Son here for us. He sacrificed His Son for us. He didn't have to do these things; He could have left us to the worst of fates.
I tried all week to wrap my head around this kind of love. I can't, of course. My head is not perfect. His love for us is. The word Gratitude falls so comically short. But I am grateful to Him. I give Him thanks not only for sending us Christ Jesus. I give Him thanks for being Him, for being the Father who loves us with such an intense, perfect love.
May He bless you this Easter, and always.
I usually give him a few hours a day of petting and play time, when I feed him and whenever else I can. I'll split this time around my work schedule. Sometimes he gets more time before my work shift, sometimes after I get home. In any case, he prefers the TV on.
Snow fell here a few days ago, at the start of Holy Week. Blizzards are nothing new around the Great Lakes in April, so I gave the white stuff no real thought other than it being a good reason to dye Easter eggs. How cruel, to send kids out into the yard to find white eggs in the snow! Unless parents just need to get them out of the house for a couple of hours... or weeks...
Anyway, a day or so after the snowfall, I searched the internet for a Fritz-y distraction – we've gotten rid of expensive cable TV. I found a little something I thought might be amusing given the recent weather: Winter Wonderland for Your Home, Snowy Scenery.
I turned turned the program on for laughs. I got an epiphany instead.
Music accompanied the video of snow falling on already covered pine trees, creek banks, and mountains. The pictures were beautiful.
The tunes were Christmas music.
At first, I thought listening to Christmas music in mid April felt odd. The first song was We Wish You a Merry Christmas. I expected stuff like Let It Snow, Sleigh Ride and the like, to follow. I realized as I listened, though, that only two of the nearly dozen tunes were secular.
All the rest were songs of the Christian faith.
Joy To the World, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, O Come All Ye Faithful – songs of hope, anticipation and exaltation washed over me. I embraced the Christmastime bliss of the coming of the Lord. At the same time I was keenly mindful of the gravity of His hanging on the cross on Good Friday.
I was struck – not for the first time, but more powerfully than ever – by how much God loves us. He sent His own Son here for us. He sacrificed His Son for us. He didn't have to do these things; He could have left us to the worst of fates.
I tried all week to wrap my head around this kind of love. I can't, of course. My head is not perfect. His love for us is. The word Gratitude falls so comically short. But I am grateful to Him. I give Him thanks not only for sending us Christ Jesus. I give Him thanks for being Him, for being the Father who loves us with such an intense, perfect love.
May He bless you this Easter, and always.