Light over darkness.

We have had several occasions in the past few years where we have truly felt spiritual warfare going on in our family/personal lives. I am so quick to forget that this is truly a real thing that occurs and something we constantly need to pray against.

However, I was reminded this weekend as we experienced several things that had to be the enemy at work.

Zac has been working very hard at church to plan 10 different services this week for Easter (mid-day every day, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and 4 services this morning). He has poured so much time, heart, and energy into this, in hopes that people will be reached for Christ, ministered to during this special season, and that God will be truly glorified.

Thursday night after the service he came home completely discouraged They tried some different things and he felt like it was a big flop. He usually doesn't react like that so I was surprised at the depth of his disappointment.

Turns out, I can't tell you how many people have told him how meaningful and moving it was--so opposite of how he felt. Definitely Satan at work, trying to get him nice and discouraged right as the weekend was gearing up.

Friday night he is in the middle of the Good Friday service, sitting in the front with all of the other pastors, and his nose just starts gushing blood. He calls me on his cell phone from a small room behind the stage of the church sort of in a panic, asking me what to do. Weird. Again, the enemy at work.

Pouring rain this morning forces them to move the sunrise service inside at the last moment. We've had plenty of chilly Easters before, but RARELY does it rain so early in the morning like this.

I intended to have a relaxed morning with the boys, talking about Easter, enjoying each other's company, and getting to church in plenty of time to feel settled and ready to worship.

What happened was that Brody woke up at 5 am for the day and proceeded to cry until 8when I finally got him to sleep after an extra feeding and several minutes of swaying, bouncing, shushing, etc. Then Jesse took over where Brody left off and cried non-stop about various things until we finally got out of the door. I was trying to get dressed and once I was finally ready, I couldn't find the mate to one of my shoes, my second earring, or my watch--things that are all usually in the same place. Then as I'm rushing out the door because we are getting late at this point, the zipper on my skirt breaks. So, I had to rethink the whole outfit and change, again. It's pouring rain the whole way to church and we encounter a giant traffic jam in the parking lot, which reinforces the fact that we truly will be late (this is my pet peeve--even with many small children I've probably only been late to church a couple of times in the past 2 years--I hate rushing in to church, frustrated and stressed, and then trying to get my heart in the right place to worship God). Plus, how do I get 3 little people into church, in the rain, without getting totally drenched myself?

I yelled at they boys while we were trying to get ready, and was just not a very nice mommy. Not exactly the leisurely, reflective, meaningful morning I had expected. I always am here alone getting the boys and myself ready, to church, and into various nurseries, and while I would love to do it with my partner, I don't have that luxury--Sundays aren't really family days. To be honest, it's just always been that way and it doesn't bother me too entirely much. But this morning it did. The enemy?

Anyway, we made it, and everything was fine. And the service was AMAZING. Truly full of worship and I felt God's grace so clearly. There was an energy in the air and I hope God was glorified and exalted. He is RISEN. HE is risen, indeed!

He will ALWAYS triumph over Satan and one day will put that battle to an ultimate end. What a day that will be, and until then, we will continue to worship him here, while we rest in his loving care and protection.