Indulge

in-dulge (verb) : to treat with excessive leniency, generosity, or consideration

First of all, I have indulged in one too many Reese's Peanut Butter Eggs. I also indulged in a 2 1/2 hour long nap (which is more sleep than I got last night... let's just say when "one" goes to bed at 4:45 a.m., the 6:30 sunrise service comes sooner than "one" might think). And I am doing my best to indulge this work I need to get started on. But mainly, I feel indulged in. 

When I sat to think about what I might say about today, given that I sort of threw caution to the wind last night, I struggled over posting pretty, pretty pictures from this afternoon. It just seemed like a fairly self-indulgent move (and not like eat-a-pound-of-chocolate-bunny indulgent). 

Thing is, though, I've been treated with excessive leniency, generosity and consideration. And it is not of me. It is of God and it is through Jesus.

 I am well aware that not everyone gets to go to a church and openly celebrate Easter. That not everyone wants to. I know that too many will actually starve to death today while I basque in the satisfaction of a delectable (and redi-ca-lous-ly huge) serving of ham and pineapple, topped off with Carl's strawberry ice cream. It burdens me, even in the delight of Easter, to understand that this is still a complex world with big problems like hunger, rape, slavery, war-- just death. 

Then again, what so delights me about Easter is that He's got this. It's not that I celebrate despite the realities of this world; I rejoice that, given the very real pain and hurt, God chose to consider and engage those realities. I don't see that all the time even in my own life, much less in the lives of people who possess less. I do know that God doesn't love me even though I am flawed, He loves me because I am flawed. I don't understand that. And I don't know why I got this--the physically blessed-- end of the indulgence... why I am genuinely embraced by a family who never had to treat me any better than "that roommate" of their daughter, while so many others can't even find that sort of love in their own families. I do know that it doesn't mean that He considers me any more highly than the people hurting today. I can't and don't believe in a God who offers love exclusively in earthly richness. I understand how from this end it looks like He's chosen to be more generous to the people who can afford to frolic around nice restaurants and wake up to a chocolate-stuffed Easter basket. 

However, Easter was all about leveling the playing field. Christ is God's lenience personified. In His generosity, God chose to consider us all. 

"This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." -Romans 3:21-24 

Today, I'm not trying to indulge in the stuff I have. But I am allowing myself to feel indulged by God.

 Pardoned. Received. Considered. 

I hope you feel it, too. 

"This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or in tongue but with actions and in truth." -I John 3:16-18

The same power that pardons, receives and considers me empowers me to pardon, receive, and consider others. I pray that I would get better at that (and that you would feel it, too).

"And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you."

-Romans 8:11