Rosh Hashanah
Yesterday was hard. No other word can describe trying to figure out how to be three places at once. It is impossible. I said, "God, show me where you need me and want me."
Three weeks ago when my son asked what was happening on September 16 (he was hoping I could come down for parent day and a Dean's List award he was going to receive), I told him I already had a volleyball tournament and a soccer game I was trying to figure out which one to go too. Thankfully, my oldest daughter volunteered to go see him and spend time with him.
Then it was deciding between a volleyball tournament 1 1/2 hours away, or soccer an hour way (both the same direction). I thought MAYBE I could do both. Start at volleyball, come back to soccer and back to volleyball. Then I thought they might need help driving players to soccer so I said, "you need to get there, if no one else steps up I will." Other parents did, so I left for the volleyball tournament still thinking I would go to soccer.
Well, I got to the volleyball tournament and everything was already behind schedule. I soon realized that if I stayed even for the first game there was no way to go back to soccer, so I made the tough choice, with my daughter's approval, not to go to the soccer game. That was NOT easy. But, I had asked God to show me where to be and volleyball it was.
Volleyball was the longest day I have experienced. They played three games (two sets each) in the morning and they were tough. Then, with a little break, they played another game, which set them up for two more games after that. So six games, twelve sets in a 10 hour period. Yelling, tension from close games, line judging and watching the ball placement, emotional breakdowns... Can we say exhaustion???
By now you are probably wondering what all of this has to do with Rosh Hashanah? And some of you may be wondering, "What is Rosh Hashanah anyway?"
Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and it started Friday night. The tradition is to eat apples dipped in honey to bring in the sweetness of the new year. It is a time to look forward to new things and be thankful for all God has done. Friday night the girls and I ate our apples dipped in honey. We were tired, but we talked. We thought of the good things that have happened in the midst of the exhaustion we were all experiencing.
THAT moment is what kept me going yesterday. THAT memory is what kept me strong in the midst of an all day event. I realized that when I woke up this morning.
THIS is why I am thankful for the Jewish holidays and calendar. The days and moments come when I most need it and desire it. I am not doing these things out of tradition, I do these because my Creator established them in the beginning of time and when I follow HIS moments - then I find HIS strength. A simple act of eating apples dipped in honey to bring in a New Year - I am thankful!
Numbers 29:1-6
“‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work; it is a day of blowing the shofar for you. 2 Prepare a burnt offering to make a fragrant aroma for Adonai — one young bull, one ram and seven male lambs in their first year and without defect — 3 with their grain offering, consisting of fine flour mixed with olive oil — six quarts for the bull, four quarts for the ram, 4 and two quarts for each of the seven lambs — 5 also one male goat as a sin offering to make atonement for you. 6 This is to be in addition to the burnt offering for Rosh-Hodesh with its grain offering, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to the rule for them; this will be a fragrant aroma, an offering made by fire to Adonai.
Because there is no Temple and because Jesus became my sacrifice as the Passover Lamb, I do not have to do the sacrifices. I can REMEMBER Him as I begin this NEW YEAR. NEW BEGINNINGS.
Baruch atah, Adonai Eloheinu, Melech haolam, shehecheyanu v’kiy’manu v’higianu laz’man hazeh.
In English: "Praise to You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of the universe, for giving us life, for sustaining us, and for enabling us to reach this season."
I know this is late in coming (since Rosh Hashanah was on Friday night), but I pray it brings you HOPE for a new season and a new year.
Love and Blessings,
Rose
