Easter Bucket List = Initiated

Because I tried to limit time-wasting activities per my goal on Sunday, I found myself bored before bedtime today. I played piano for a while--I quite enjoyed it--and then I realized something! On my bucket list, I want to create an Easter Program for the Savior before I die, complete with narrative and songs (I do plan to use hymns, so it's not all from scratch).

So today for my Savior, I started studying the last week of His life. It was awesome! Because I concentrated on truly immersing myself in my Savior's life, I discovered what it's like to pass through the event horizon of a black hole. 

And by that, I mean that I discovered things I hadn't thought about before, and time passed in a really strange fashion. I spent a half hour on fourteen verses, but it felt like only five minutes; time dilation, I'm telling you. And my view began to change just a little as I approached a place where light just gather and gathers...

For instance, I was pondering on verses John 12:7-8 where Christ defends Mary's choice to anoint his feet:

Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this. For the poor always ye have with you; but me ye have not always.

First off, isn't Mary awesome? From the scriptures, we can tell that Christ's apostles didn't understand a lot of what He said. But Christ implies that Mary knew He would die soon; she was the girl who always took the time to really love Him and listen to Him, even when there were other things that needed doing (Luke 10:38-42).

Secondly, isn't is interesting that Christ prefers Mary to serve Him directly rather than the poor considering Matthew 25:40 where Christ says that "inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me"? If Christ suffered for me individually, experiencing my life so that He could better succor me, then He literally receives any service that I receive so that He can have complete empathy with me; therefore, Matthew 25:40 is literally true for Him. He experiences the joy of being served whether it is directly to Him or someone that He suffers for.

But then why would it matter whether Mary anointed His feet or helped the poor? I think the difference lies in Mary rather than in Christ. In serving Christ and only Christ, Mary was better able to love and draw close to her Savior. In my own life, I know this is true. I serve others for my Savior a lot, but not solely for Him; I serve others because I love them too. This splits my attention so that I'm not directing all my love and affection at the Savior. But when I pray to the Savior and focus only on Him, I draw that much closer to Him because I thinking that much more about Him. 

Basically, if I have the chance to literally serve my Savior, I'm going to take it. 

These are just some of my thoughts, but I'm really grateful that I was able to draw closer to my Savior today through studying the last days of His life.