Our New Easter

This year for Easter a lot of things were different. There were no big egg hunts, no big family dinners, no big fancy baskets, and lastly no distractions of what the true meaning of Easter is. We woke up, got our cup of coffee, called the girls downstairs and they each raced to their baskets. Their baskets were the simplest this year than they ever have been 3 things in total plus candy, but their smiles were filled with gratefulness. The girls did their egg hunt through the house and began to marvel at what they had gotten. We social distanced with our neighbors and celebrated the beautiful weather we were given on such an important day. As a family, we spent time outside, we watched TV, and enjoyed being around each other with nothing pulling us in separate directions.

This year was different then years prior; you see this year; I had started explaining to them more about what Easter is about. They both had grasped the meaning of Christmas years ago, so why would not they be able to grasp the meaning of Easter. I figured at 8 and 5 they could grasp more than just Jesus dying on the cross but could begin to understand that Easter is about Christ dying on the cross for our sins and then being resurrected three days later. We watched the sight and sound production of Jesus as we ate dinner and they both were amazed at all the work Jesus did. Their little faces in awe of the love He showed to everyone no matter who or what they looked like, even in the end knowing what He was going to endure. Marcella was filled with questions; why someone would tell on Jesus, why would they do that to him, couldn’t Jesus have said no, why they didn’t take the other people off the crosses too, etc. While, I did not have all the answers to her questions, I answered them the best I could. Oh, what it is to have child-like faith, to be amazed by all the wonders of God every time you hear them.

After we had dinner and finished the sight and sound movie, Marcella was going to lead communion a perfect ending to the perfect day. Marcella, having been explained communion, the special-ness of it, what the markings on the Matzah represented, and the importance of it by our family friends Robin & Kim, earlier this year, she was excited to lead our family in communion. While we listened to Remembrance by Hillsong, she gathered little cups of juice, her pieces of Matzah, and handed it out to everyone. She led us in communion the way she was taught, claiming that by His stripes we are healed, and that the bread and juice was His body and blood broken and poured out for our sins. It was a heart melting, proud mommy moment ya’ll. The Spirit of the Lord filing our house, even with our little stumbling through communion, was such a powerful moment; I wish I could have sat in it a little while longer.

This year may not have been our traditional Easter, spent with family, church services, egg hunts, and busyness, but it was filled with love, laughter, joy, happiness, and remembering the true reason for the Easter celebration. I think that this may just be our new Easter, a year of new traditions, new memories, and new teachings. God works all things together for His good, and while being under stay at home orders, and social distancing are not the way we imagined to be spending the Easter celebration; for now, He is bringing families together. I leave you with this, the grave could not hold Him, He has risen and is alive today!