A Bad Day

Friday did not started off as a good day. I took a day off from work to catch up with some chores that I had neglected to do this summer. It’s not that I had been lazy, it’s just that this summer has been very wet and it has rained a lot on the weekends when I was able to do these jobs. After prophesying that it was going to be another wet weekend, the prophets changed their mind and said that it would be a cool, but a nice weekend. I thought I’d start my weekend early and I started making my “To do list” on Thursday. Then it happened. Robin told me that she also had plans on Friday and I graciously told her that I would donate an hour or perhaps two hours of my time to her on Friday. I figured that I could still get a few things accomplished.

I got up on Friday morning with the intentions of having some quiet time with the Lord, but I was distracted because I wanted to print something from my computer first. To my dismay, the printer didn’t work. After struggling with it a while, I discovered it was the copier that didn’t work. I decided right then and there that I wasn’t going to waste my time trying to solve this problem. Ninety minutes later while I was still groaning, uttering a few things in my head, and tinkering in the unknown, the printer miraculously started working. I then looked out my window and saw a possum sitting in the trap that I had set. This meant that before I did anything on my list, I would have to bring this critter somewhere where he’d never be able to come back. It was beginning to become abundantly clear to me that my “Friday’s To do list” might have to be renamed, “Saturday’s…” I could tell that this was going to be a bad day.

When Jesus heard that John the Baptist was beheaded, Jesus set out for a solitary place (Matthew 14:13-23). When the crowds heard about this, they followed Him. When they came to Him, Jesus had compassion on them, fed them, and healed their sick. After Jesus had ministered to them, He sent them away and the Scriptures tell us that Jesus went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray.

I am really glad that Jesus did not sigh deeply and say, “Where did all these people come from?” “I don’t have time for this!” or “I’ve got more important things to do!” (Like someone I know, but I won’t mention any names, would have done.) Instead, in these short verses, the Scriptures reveal that Jesus never lost His focus. In spite of the distractions, Jesus accomplished what He set out to do, and that is to be alone with His Father. The other amazing thing that Scripture reveal to me is that people were not distractions to Jesus. They were part of His agenda. Isn’t that what we see in the cross?

On the cross, Jesus was in great pain and agony and no one could have faulted Him if this was the only thing on His mind. Yet not only was He aware of His Father, but He was also aware of our great need. Listen to His prayer again, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). It was a bad day for Jesus, but it was a great day for us.