Palm Sunday

I remember eight years ago today when I was pregnant with Jacob, we went to Palm Sunday service at Woodland Hills Church. The place was packed and we had to stand in the back. I was frustrated because I didn't want to stand for an hour and a half or sit on the floor. And then the children came in singing Hosanna and waving palm branches. I was moved to tears. The sight of the children singing praises to their King. Innocently. Without inhibitions. Just letting their hearts sing praises. It was beautiful and moving.
Today, Jacob and Kyle got to be in the procession of palms at church and ironically (or not) I was frustrated by circumstances again today. It started when Kyle refused to wear a nice shirt. He adamantly insisted on wearing a sweatshirt instead of the polo I picked out for him. Any other Sunday I would have relented, but I wanted him to look nice parading through the church waving his palm branch. He and I butted heads most of the morning over his shirt, eating breakfast, brushing his teeth, wearing tennis shoes (he insisted he needed to wear boots because it snowed last night). Again I would have relented on the boots, but he was going to be walking up the aisles in church and I didn't want him clomping along in his boots.
We eventually made it to church (on time, surprisingly) and Kyle decided he didn't want to line up with the other kids. He refused to do the procession. No surprise really. He's either all in or all out. There's no middle ground or compromising with him.
So Kyle and I sat in the sanctuary and watched Jacob sing Hosanna and wave his palm branch with the other kids and I was almost moved to tears. I say almost because I was distracted by Kyle busily writing with a pen and getting dangerously close to the nice shirt he was wearing.
But it was great to watch Jacob sing in front of the church. When you want your child to know and love Jesus and you see them sing praises... it's beautiful. It's a wonderful feeling to watch your child grow in God's love. Today was a beautiful Palm Sunday, frustrations and snow aside.


As he rode along, the crowds spread out their garments on the road ahead of him. When he reached the place where the road started down the Mount of Olives, all of his followers began to shout and sing as they walked along, praising God for all the wonderful miracles they had seen.

“Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!”

Luke 19:36-38