My precious..bitterness

Every year on this day, Good Friday, I feel like I'm not a very good christian...!
Mainly because I am always making sure if this is the day Jesus was crucified or was it actually on Easter...?! So many things to keep straight..!!
Oh and yeah, there are many other things I have to look up too..most of it..Evan's 3rd grade math problems!
So perhaps if I write this, I'll remember for next year.
I have a 50/50 shot..at least..!
:)
This is it, though, the day Christ suffered on the cross.
Every story I read about his life, his walk is absolutely incredible..scandalous if you ask me!
He sure went to great lengths to save people..people that society had banished and even pushed to live on the outer parts of town.
Everyone is always aware of where the sketchy parts of town are..!
I keep recalling the story of "the sinful woman" in Luke 7:36. This woman has no name, just that she must have been pretty good at sinning.
The story tells us she sits at Jesus feet, weeping and washing his feet with her tears. She sits there weeping, and washing and weeping and washing.
This must have been a woman at the end of her rope, with her entire life and dignity robbed, perhaps every advantage of a healthy life has gone and she sees there is only one ounce of hope..so she takes it.
The Pharisees and Simon are frustrated and want nothing to do with her. In their minds, Jesus would now be ceremonially unclean, because a sinful woman just touched him. He tells them a parable about a money lender who lends money to two people and that eventually, they don't pay him back. He asks which one would feel more forgiven, the one who borrows more money or the man who borrows less? Their answer is of course, the one who borrowed more.
The one who feels like they've done the most damage..messed up..the sinful woman.
And then Jesus looks her in the eyes and says "your sins are forgiven" and after a shuffle amongst the disciples then says "your faith has saved you".
Jesus, the scandal..there to offer hope to a women like this..the lowliest thought of in society..and he allows her to touch his feet without any thought of it making him unclean.
I think of the worship song by Hillsong called "From the inside out" and the lyrics start out with

A thousand times I've failed 

Still your mercy remains 

Should I stumble again 

Still I'm caught in your grace

I always feel this is written for me..this mamma, this wife, this friend that constantly can't seem to get it right sometimes. Caught inside a beautiful web of grace..tangled in it and over an over again I'm given mercy. 

So, I hope today you let compassion fall all over yourself. 

And if you don't claim to be a christian..I think its ok to give yourself grace, too!

Easter will come and go..so pull those people you love in and celebrate them the best you can.

Happy Good Friday!!