Bits 'n Pieces

So many pieces.  Life is made up of bits 'n pieces, made up of days, minutes, moments, seconds, those are the pieces that are my life.  Bits of laughter, moments that I shake my head in wonder.  I had that Thursday with my middle child, I was getting a snack consisting of cheese sticks out of the fridge for the trio of pipsqueaks noting aloud to them, and myself, that I was grabbing the "last three".  Mr Mack takes a moment to astound me by smacking his forehead and exclaiming "oh, coconuts".  I know I stood there dumbfounded for a moment and requested for a repeat because I really wasn't sure what he'd said.  After the repeat performance I burst up laughing, leading the four of us in a good round of belly laughter.
It's also the pieces of pain, life gone awry that give us the memories of what was, is and the possibilities of what is to come.  These tough moments build our strength.  The times of a lost babe and the possibility of her life, the times of struggle and feeling alone when God is answering pleading prayers with silence.
I wouldn't change any of it.  Why should I be so fortunate to have an easy, smooth flying life when even Christ didn't.  He knew the aching hurts of taunts, the pain of pierced skin, the weakness of blood draining from his body.  He endured all of this and died on the cross for me, so that I can willingly accept the unconditional love of the Lord.  I didn't earn it, there is nothing that I can do for Him to earn my place in heaven.  He just loved me (us) so much that He sacrificed it all for me.
Today I will take the pieces of life lived and the bits of memory made carefully, knowing that many years ago the ones that loved Christ sealed his dead body in a tomb on this day and said good-bye to the Christ that they followed.  Today I will follow Him in a different way, always loving Him because I know what happened the day after they sealed His tomb.

DV - NMV