Don't Throw a Pity Party, God Chose You!

Today I had a mini pity party for myself. 
You see, money has been really tight for our household the last few months simply because I have not been working while in practicum. And today I realized Sunday is Easter. I know I know, you're thinking wake up you definitely should have known this by now. And I did know subconsciously...but it kinda just hit me. I mean this week has been so busy that I haven't sat down to think about what that means.
And as much as I hate myself for saying this, today when I thought about Sunday being Easter, my first thought was not about Jesus and his horrific death and incredible sacrifice. No my human, selfish self had another first thought:
I won't get a new dress to wear for Easter this year.
And then I proceeded with my little pity party. All I could think of is that we just really don't have extra money for me to go spend on a new dress just because it is Easter Sunday. Even if I really want one. And how I have no idea what I am going to wear Sunday. And how it will surely be obvious that I don't have a new cute springtime dress. And how I want to look cute but having very little stupid money means I can't. (Totally untrue but just how my brain goes.) And how much that stinks. And how I wish I had been able to just keep my job with practicum. Blah. Blah. Blah. I'm pretty sure God was just shaking his head at me. 
I'm not kidding you after my five minute pity party in my head was over (even though I still wasn't happy about the situation) I got on my phone and was checking Facebook, because of course that's what you do when you wake up right? And one of the first posts I read was from my friend Kellie who is a fellow elementary education major who is in practicum right now also. The status said:

Well hello there guilt. Come on in. 
God sure does know how to wake you up when you're being stupid and selfish doesn't He? I read this (and liked it obviously) and just started to think about my own kids. I do call them my kids even though I have only been in their class for two weeks. But honestly I love all of them like they were my own kids.
But in all seriousness, many many of my students are from extremely low-income households. Some of them have been abused, some have been neglected. Some of them come to school wearing clothes that are way too small or way too big or have holes all in them. The smiles those children get when they are given any type of gift, even a pencil, is the most beautiful sight. And when I read Kellie's post, I thought about that little girl, and how that could literally be any one of my sweet students. I loved how she said that the girl was so ecstatic over every piece and every outfit that she got. And those are clothes are used, but she doesn't care. Because they are new to her, and they make her feel like a million bucks.
I, on the other hand, have a closet so stuffed with clothes that I can barely fit any more in, and I'm sitting here having a pity party about having nothing to wear. It hit me big time, and as cliche as it sounds, I need to remember the real meaning of Easter. People say that all the time about Christmas, but Easter is the same way. And sometimes in the past, it has felt for me that is is more about the outfit I'm going to wear on Sunday than why we are celebrating in the first place...
God picked us out of a closet. We were not new and shiny and pretty. We were used. We were someone else's leftovers, someone else's trash. But he was ecstatic to get us. Ecstatic for every single one of us. We have to remember that, and realize that we are celebrating Jesus being raised from the dead just so we, the used and broken, could join Him in Heaven. It's not about your dress. 
So don't have a pity party. Have a praise party for the fact that God chose you out of the closet.