Emphasis Preaching Journal

The alarm clock goes off and Joe Smith pulls the pillow tightly around his ears. This is the same futile gesture Joe goes through every morning. He strikes at the clock and sends it crashing to the floor where it continues to ring under the bed. Joe leans over, gropes around until he finds the clock and pushes the alarm button. He tries to go back to sleep, but by now the cat is scratching at the front door. He gets up, looks for his slippers, finally puts on his old shoes without laces and stumbles toward the door. He walks into the den, finds one cigarette left in a crumpled pack, and settles down to read what happened in yesterday's world.

"Before you go getting too comfortable, remember this is Easter and we're going to church," his wife announces. Joe sinks down in his chair as he listens to this voice of doom. "I'm sick and tired of making excuses for you all year long, Joe Smith," the announcement continues. "You can go to church with me at least one Sunday out of the year."

Reluctantly, Joe shaves, dresses, gulps down a cup of coffee, and pulls the car out of the garage.

Despite some obvious differences, the three women on the way to the tomb and Joe Smith have a lot in common. Neither the women nor Joe expected anything unusual to happen on Easter. The women were surprised. And, who knows, maybe Joe will be too!
--Kirby