This past Saturday, I had planned to pick up a few pretzel dogs from the Amish market, but somehow the morning got away from me. It was close to closing time when I finally headed to the market.
I waited in the line at the pretzel stand for a while until I inched up to the front to place my order.
“We’re out of pretzel dogs,” the cashier said. “We don’t have sausage dogs either.”
Well, that was a dilemma—or at least it felt like a dilemma since I was expected to return home with pretzel dogs.
The pretzel stand has a whole menu, but there’s really nothing like a hot dog wrapped in pretzel dough and cooked with a little melted cheese inside. I’m not much of a pretzel dog fan myself, but I absolutely understand the appeal.
Until this moment, I had assumed pretzel dogs flowed out of the pretzel stand like water from a hose. I hesitated and then decided to order a few other items on the menu. I paid and collected my items, and I headed toward the door.
But as I was almost at the market exit, I noticed customers hovering by the donut counter. I could sense it was a happy crowd, so I headed on over. It turned out they were waiting in line for discounted donuts. So, I joined them and brought home a larger box of donuts than I’ve ever bought before, paying much less than I would have paid in the morning.
That’s how life is. You win some, and you lose some. The early bird might get the pretzel dog, but the late bird gets a large box of cheap donuts. Both birds get something in this situation. And I was pleased to bring some discounted donuts home.
So, here we are at Holy Week. All of a sudden, Easter is zooming up on us. Maybe you’re a person who had their act together and got your Lenten act together early. Maybe you’re late to the game. But here’s the good news.
Whatever your Lenten journey has looked like, Easter is coming. The alleluias and trumpet blasts and rejoicing are just around the corner. This week is the week of all weeks, with the story of all stories. We will be celebrating Jesus’ journey to the cross, his final moments on earth, his death, and then ultimately the Resurrection. There will be something for everyone—and especially for you. Jesus died and rose for you, for me, for each of us, for all of us. And this is an incredibly rich time of year to lean in and grow in faith.
You aren’t early or late. You’re right on time. Whether you have been preparing since Ash Wednesday or are just deciding that you want to shift into a new mode now, the moment is yours. Holy Week is here, and Easter is just days away.
Don’t worry that Lent has passed you by. This is the home stretch, and there’s nothing like the last minute. Who knows what you might encounter and how you might grow in your relationship with Jesus in these final days of this solemn, holy season.
Here we go.
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