Late last Saturday afternoon, Christ Journey and friends came together at Warren Park in Burleson for an Easter celebration. Christ is King, and we gathered to enjoy, proclaim, and share life in his kingdom. The tribe laughed, sang, prayed, shared stories, played, relaxed, conversed, ate, and made room at table of the Lord for new friends.

It was quite fitting to enact the Story as storm clouds quickly saturated the sky, and lightning cascaded across the horizon. We were in-between…we are in-between…looking back upon the beautiful horror of the cross while looking forward…anticipating…rehearsing…new life, resurrection, the renewal of all things.

However, as I reflect on our time together, one experience stands out. Before most of our friends arrived at the park, a few of us were buzzing around the gazebo setting up the sound system, preparing the food, and situating picnic tables and chairs. As I walked back and forth from my car to the gazebo, I noticed a rather large “puddle” of something. I wasn’t really sure what it was, and tried vehemently to ignore it. Unfortunately, it never disappeared on its own.

It looked like what once was a scoop of ice cream that was probably dropped during a birthday party earlier in the day: a scoop of (now goopy, melted, and throw-up looking) ice cream strewn across the concrete floor of the Warren Park Gazebo. In the very least, it was gross, and I remember thinking to myself, “It’ll be awkward avoiding that…whatever it is…all afternoon, but I ain’t even about to explore cleaning it up.”

A few minutes later, as I returned from another trip to the car, half of the unknown substance was gone. Puzzled by its sudden disappearance, I noticed a dear servant “returning to the vomit” with more paper towels to finish the job she had started. In a just-above-the-knee length dress, she sat down on the “questionable” concrete floor of the Warren Park Gazebo with a few paper towels, and soaked up what remained of the ice cream blob.

Very few people saw it. I’m guessing no one asked her to do it. Many of us (including myself) were concerned with “far more important matters.” But she humbled herself in front of us all, and became someone even the most dedicated Burleson Parks and Recreation employee shudders to embrace: a servant willing to pick up someone else’s mess…for nothing.

It didn’t really hit me until tonight, but this lady has no need for a WWJD bracelet. She is the bracelet. What an intriguing, humbling, and self-giving way to rehearse death, burial, and resurrection. Go and do likewise.