All week I’ve felt like I was missing something.  You know that feeling when you’re looking around wondering what you’ve left behind, or you check your calendar multiple times in one day just to be sure you haven’t forgotten a meeting or an appointment?  That is how I’ve felt all week…like I’m supposed to be somewhere or doing something, and that I’ve undoubtedly dropped one of the many plates I’m usually spinning.  No amount of worrying this week ever brought to mind what that ‘forgotten’ or ‘missing’ thing was, so I gave up.

Then…like a bolt this afternoon, it hit me.  I wonder if there is such a thing as excitement deficit disorder.  Yep…I think there is, and I think I have it.  I experienced a lot of excitement over the last 7-10 days, all of which is over now.

Easter Sunday has come and gone.  My son’s high school soccer team was crowned Area Champs after beating our most staunch (I would say hated but I’m a Christian) competitors, and a little dinner party I had planned is now over.  After spending almost two weeks on edge with all I had to do, I think I have an excitement deficit; I’m diagnosing myself with EDD.

In an effort to make this relevant for those of you reading this blog, stay with me here…
Jesus has been crucified and buried. It seems the end has come.  We know it’s not because we sit this side of the resurrection, but “they” didn’t know that…yet.  For three heart wrenching days, the promise of Jesus being Who He claimed to be seems nothing more than futile hope.  The excitement that surrounded encountering the Messiah has died (literally) at Golgotha. 

I joke about EDD in my own life, and certainly cannot compare having a less than busy schedule to the crucifixion, but can you imagine - even for a moment- that Jesus’ followers must have felt a letdown of excitement. 

What is so incredible is that the real excitement was still to come. Jesus’ Resurrection- for lack of a better word- resurrected excitement.  He overcame sin, death, and the grave.  He was and is alive!  I’m not sure you could find anything in this world that would get your heart pumping more than going to someone’s grave and finding them not just gone, but standing in the garden talking to you.

Living this life is a series of exciting times, followed by (and sometimes very welcome) periods of a lull in the action.  I wonder – in my EDD state- if I let down my guard and actually miss the still very real excitement that comes with living a life of following Jesus.  I wonder if I, like I imagine Jesus’ followers did, miss the clues about what is to come because I’m stuck on what I’ve lost. 

I’m sure there is a lesson for me…for our kids…for all of us in there somewhere.  EDD or not, we live on this side of the Resurrection, and that is more than exciting, it’s the promise of abundant life!

This Week’s Announcements:
Don’t forget that this weekend is a BIG weekend on the Square!  Because of Taste of Marietta, we will not have two services on Sunday.  We will have ONE service on Saturday at 5pm (to replace our 11am Sunday service), and then ONE on Sunday at 9am.  As a rule of thumb (and to help us with numbers)- if you normally attend the 11am service, please come at 5pm on Saturday, and if you normally attend 9am, please come at your usual time.

What God is Teaching Us:
Click on the links below to view our lessons from Easter Sunday
This link is no longer available

Funny Things Kids Do and Say…
Nothing came to mind this week for this section, but stay tuned.  With Mother’s Day looming, we’re about to ask kids questions about their moms, and that will be funny!