Easter
It’s a celebration with all that is confectionary.
The little ones fought over the chocolate cross. My mistake. There was only one.
It wasn’t Easter yet, but it was Palm Sunday. So, we talked about that and read the Easter Story. It doesn’t matter your age, I’ve discovered the best way to communicate the reason for an Easter gathering is in teacher fashion. Simple words.
A picture book!
God gave His son, Jesus Christ.
He came to die on a cross.
He rose in 3 days.
He’s alive today.
In us.
I’ve decided to tuck this simplistic book in my holiday decoration bin with the ceramic bunnies and plastic eggs as a new tradition for the season. The day will come when likely next year we’ll have our very own first reader who will carry on the reading of the Easter story from the picture book before our customary dinner.
We followed the day with other fun traditions like Easter egg hunts for both children and adults, sidewalk chalk, kite flying and an unexpected moment that I stowed away in my heart that occurred during our church service on this first Palm Sunday without Dad.
You see, Mom went to my church with me for the first time. We both were operating under a lot of new firsts. On this particular morning, our minister was wearing a blue shirt. It was recognizable. I took one glance. Thought about it. Stared a bit more intently. What I saw was the exact same shirt out of all of Dad’s shirts as the one I had just chosen to keep after his passing. From my distance, I looked closer to the texture of it and the color of the buttons. Yep, it certainly was the shirt. It was like a sweet nod the Lord had for me that morning sitting with my mom. It was in this way that only I knew how the Lord had thought to include my dad. I came home and wrapped myself up in it.
The Lord has all kinds of personal gifts.
Don’t think He doesn’t.
On Palm Sunday, He did it for me with a single matching shirt.
On Good Friday, He did it for us all.
It was a single cross.
No mistake.
There was only one.
Isaiah 53:5