we finally got what we've been praying for!

There was a Christian woman, an Episcopalian, I believe, who had a parrot named Polly. Like owner, like pet, Polly was prim, proper and pretty. There was only one problem: Polly had a bad habit. Whenever she met anyone, she would screech, “Whoopee, Charlie, I’m a good-time girl!” Polly regularly embarrassed her very proper owner.

One day, the woman’s Rector, Fr. Williams, paid her a visit. Sure enough: as he entered the apartment, Polly screeched, “Whoopee, Charlie, I’m a good-time girl!” Fr. Williams was a little shocked and the woman a lot embarrassed. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “I think I can help," Fr. Williams replied. “My dear friend, Reverend Jones, at First Baptist, keeps two parrots in his study at church. They’re very pious, upstanding. In fact, all they do is pray!”

So, she agreed, and Fr. Williams took prim, proper and pretty yet misbehaving Polly to the Baptist Church. When he entered Reverend Jones’ study, sure enough, his two parrots were deep in prayer. And, sure enough, Polly screeched, “Whoopee, Charlie, I’m a good-time girl!” Upon which, Reverend Jones’ pious, upstanding parrots stirred and one, with his wing, nudged the other energetically, “Hey, Luke, wake up! We finally got what we’ve been praying for!”

With Easter, “we finally got what we’ve been praying for!” The deepest longing of our hearts is for love that never ends. Or, more precisely, the deepest longing of our hearts is for someOne whose love for us never ends. Our Crucified and Risen Lord is that someOne.

Happy Easter Friday!