One day in the life of Christ.
Call it a tapestry of turmoil: A noisy pictorial in which the golden threads of triumph knot against the black, frazzled strings of tragedy.
Call it a symphony of emotions: A sunrise-to-sunset orchestration of extremes. One score is brassy with exuberance -- the next moans with sorrow.
Whatever you call it -- call it real. Author Max Lucado calls it "the second most stressful day in the life of our Savior." Before the morning becomes evening Jesus has reason to weep, then run, then shout, the curse, then praise, then doubt. Within a matter of moments his world is turned upside down.
Sound familiar? The pink slip comes. The doctor calls. The divorce papers arrive. The check bounces. The life that had been calm is now chaotic. The world that had been serene is now stormy. Assailed by doubts. Pummeled by demands.
If you've ever wondered if God in heaven can relate to you on earth, then read and re-read this pressure-packed day in the life of Christ. It is the only day, aside from the crucifixion, that all four gospels recorded. Lucado has interwoven their accounts in such a way that you will be assured that God knows how you feel.
And you will be assured that within every torrent there is a calm center -- a place you can stand when your world gets windy. The Eye of the Storm.