"I have seen the Lord!"

This is Mary's astounding proclamation three days after Jesus' death. She goes to the tomb to prepare Jesus' body and finds an empty tomb. After running to tell the disciples, returning with them because they couldn't believe without seeing, the disciples leave but Mary stays behind, weeping. Two men appear in the tomb and ask her why she is weeping. All she can say is that they have taken her Lord. Next a man appears that she assumes is the gardener and he asks why she is weeping. She asks if he moved her Lord. Then an amazing thing happens, this man says her name. I imagine it was said so gently with such love that she couldn't help but recognize it as Jesus' voice. Now everything has changed! She runs to tell the disciples, "I have seen the Lord!"

I think in our own way we can all say "I have seen the Lord." There are times when someone is so close to God and doing His will that we can see Jesus clearly in them. It's as if the curtain that separates us from God is pulled back for a brief moment.

I saw Jesus this week in my daughter, Cassie. In the midst of my grumbling and worrying about my petty little problems, all very earthy, she was looking to serve God and others. On Thursday she helped Fr. Sean, our rector, wash feet at our Maundy Thursday service. The most humbling of acts, washing another person's feet, and she wanted to do it, chose to do it joyfully. It is an awesome, humbling experience to have your 12-year old daughter kneel before you and wash your feet, but not only yours but anyone who comes to her, young or old.

Cassie wasn't done, she wanted to take part of the Prayer Vigil. At our church people sign up for half-hour time slots to come and pray at church from 9 pm on Thursday through 9 am on Friday. The idea is that we are waiting with Jesus and the disciples through his trial, beating and sentencing. Cassie chose 3:30 am to participate originally and since there were still spots left on Thursday after the service she decided we should take another time as well, so we signed-up for 7:30 am too. We got up around 2:30 am to allow enough time to wake up and get ourselves to church on time (it is about a 30 minute drive). We prayed, read and reflected for 30 minutes and then went home. I went to bed for a couple of hours, but Cassie stayed awake. Then at 7 o'clock we headed back to church and stayed for one hour this time.

Later we returned for Stations of the Cross at noon. I love doing the stations, we have a lightweight wooden cross that we all take turns carrying as we move from station to station. It is a wonderful way to feel like I am part of the story, which of course I am. Cassie gladly carried the cross twice. Later in the evening we went to the Community Good Friday service where Cassie was a reader. She really enjoyed that and has decided that she should read more in church. (By the way, she only slept for about 5 minutes in the car after Stations of the Cross.)

Before you start thinking I'm a bragging parent (well, I am) or that she is perfect let me assure you that she is a typical 12-year old. She is caring, loving, giving and lives life to its fullest and she is messy, disorganized, impatient and she has been practicing her attitude so that she has it just perfect when she's a teenager. I can take credit for the messy, disorganized, impatient, attitude girl; God gets the credit for the good stuff.

It's so easy for her, she just does what is helpful, giving and good (most of the time). She doesn't think what the cost is, how awkward it is to wash other people's feet, she just does it. Cassie enjoys giving, loving and sharing. I think she is on to something; maybe we need to just do and trust and there we will find joy. The unintentional consequence may be that someone will say "I have seen the Lord."