Spirit Week

This school year has certainly been different for my kids.  There have been many reasons,  but what I'd like to "untangle" from today is all the "spirit weeks"  they've been having. 

When I went to High School,  spirit week was usually held during homecoming football week.  It was anticipated with many plans of outfits wanting to outdo each other.  Since,  my son,  goes to a small private school without a football team,  they have spirit week on the last week of school.  This is met with much joy since they are required to wear uniforms (same red polo with navy pants or skirts) the whole year through.  I like seeing the creativity the kids put into their spirit week.



But this year has been different for my girls.   I think they have had at least 8 spirit weeks.  I would see them emerge from their room dressed in a disney character or in a tutu & wonder what the occasion was & their reply was that it was spirit week.  I have wondered aloud if the highschool thinks the students needed help knowing how to dress for the day & have received the "octave drop" Mah----(say it with dropping the octave & don't get caught rolling your eyes)--om.  I not sure what the theme of today was,  but I know my girls were not "into" it.  I heard them saying to each other,  that they didn't get the txt to dress up & that they didn't really care.

This reminds me of a story I read about a little boy wishing it was Christmas everyday.  He got his wish & every morning,  he'd wake up to find his Christmas stocking filled.  It was fine & even exciting at first,  but then,  he had too many toys & candy.  The music was annoying & he had enough Jingle Bells.  I can't remember if it stayed winter in the book.  But I can so relate to having too much of snow (it actually snowed where I live this past Wednesday... this year April didn't bring showers... but SNOW!).  I think the moral of the story was that sometimes you can have too much of a good thing & be careful what you wish for.

Two weeks ago,  I substituted for my Sunday School class of normally 7-10 women.  I had several different lessons planned,  but nothing really excited me.  We had a guest speaker preach & he talked about preparing our hearts for Jesus.  And as I was sitting in the pew,  I thought,  that would be a great topic for our class disscussion & I can learn how the ladies prepared their homes & families for the Easter season. 

Unfortunately,  another adult class didn't have their usual teacher show up & they dispersed to other classes.  Many of the husbands joined our circle.  This was not going to be a fluff discussion on decorations & recipe sharing (though my piano teacher did give me a recipe for resurrection cookies http://www.motherhoodonadime.com/kids/resurrection-cookies-printable-recipe/)

One of the men brought up that we need to prepare our hearts for Jesus everyday & we shouldn't wait just for the Easter season.  Oh,  we had a lively discussion that day because both sides were right.  Every day,  every hour,  EVERY moment,  our hearts need to be soften to Jesus & His leading.  We need to be grateful for His life & forgiveness ALL the time.  But,  we have chosen as a culture,  to celebrate His resurrection during this time of Easter. 

I grew up Catholic & it wasn't just Holy Week,  but 40 days of "spiritual outfitting".   It really didn't mean that much to me until I became a Christian.  It was more of a religious duty rather than a time of renewal.  And until I learn the meaning of the rituals,  it was tiresome. 

And so,  I've been pondering,  if we had Holy Week like the highschool has been having Spirit week throughout the year,  would it lose it significance?