Easter 2014 may be over, but if you are a believer, the celebration of Jesus’s Resurrection is just beginning.
From 1 Peter 1:3, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”
This was an extra special Easter for my family and me. Our girls, Serina and Sophia (on the cusp of 9 and 7, respectively) are old enough to understand that Easter is about something much bigger than chocolate eggs, marshmallow Peeps and jellybeans.
On Sunday morning, Serina asked, “So what does the Easter bunny have to do with Easter?”
“Nothing,” Mormor told her, smiling. “Absolutely nothing.”
Mormor believes, as we do, that Easter is about salvation, not sweets. She realized that John 3:16 was finally hitting home for her grandchildren, and that they were starting to understand what even adults have trouble grasping:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
That doesn’t mean David and I didn’t have Easter baskets waiting for the girls. We did, and Mormor even contributed new Easter dresses to the bounty. They were thrilled and grateful all at once.
After family breakfast, we spent our morning celebrating an awesome God and His son, Jesus Christ, who died on the cross only to rise again three days later. Easter. Mom, David, the girls and I rejoiced with fellow St. Mark’s Church members and visitors alike.
Between services, the children flowered the cross, demonstrating the beautiful Resurrection that followed the cruelty Jesus endured on what was at one time a horrible and shameful instrument of death.
I John 1:7 tells us that “The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin.” Goodbye to the sins that have plagued our spirits like dead, dried-out weeds; hello to the salvation that renews our spirits like fresh-cut roses, lilies and forget-me-nots.
Yes, it was a beautiful Easter. Perhaps the greatest part was watching our children grow in their faith, and having the opportunity to continually grow in ours.
minndixiemom 