Easter snuck up on me this year. Last week, we vacationed in Switzerland, and the week before, we prepared for vacation in Switzerland. This week, I dug my way out of great stacks of paperwork that called for my attention, restocked the fridge, caught up on sleep… Suddenly, it’s almost Easter! I want to celebrate what Jesus did for us!
I made plans, and sometimes that's where I get stuck. I made great plans in my head for how I would relate the Easter story to my little people once again. I even assumed how they would respond to the greatest story ever told. It was going to be heavenly.
Instead, they begged to have another indoor Easter egg hunt rather than going through the Ressurection Eggs. But I put my foot down, trying to convince them this was just as fun.
I tried to engage them in the story while they fought over who got to open each egg. I persevered, fluctuating my voice and asking questions at every turn. They answered me with lines they heard watching the Three Stooges at Nana's house last week, laughing all the way.
Then, they asked questions that had nothing to do with the story at hand. “Is Connor turning 6 at his party?”... “How many days until our friends come to hunt for Easter eggs?”...“Are you putting candy in these Mom, or just stickers like last time?”
It was a tug of war, and I lost. I wanted to scream.
Finally, I closed up Ressurection-Egg shop, and said we’d finish them later. I was sad. Very, very sad. They knew the story and the answers to the questions, but they didn’t grasp the importance of what Jesus did for us! The eggs before me held the reason for our hope, our future. And they would have none of it.
This is everything, I thought. And they just don’t get it.
They’re still in the living room, wrestling around on the floor like bear cubs, cracking up laughing over the silly ways they can group simple words. One says, “Don’t bite the ducky cake!” and the other, “It’s my thinking cap burger!” And they laugh hysterically.
When will they know? When will they see?
When did I see? I mean, I knew when I was young. I knew something anyway. But I didn’t see.
I didn’t understand the weightiness, the urgency of Jesus--or Easter--or the cross.
I didn’t love Him with my whole heart.
I didn’t understand the depth of my need for Him.
And how did the Maker of my soul look on me then? How long did He yearn for me to understand?
Instead of roaring, "Don't you understand the importance of all this???", He dealt with me patiently.
While I peaked through eyelids halfway closed, He allowed pieces of His heart to shine in, through His Word and His people, ushering me slowly to a place of repentance, rest, quietness, and trust. He continues escorting me there, as I have such a hard time keeping my eyes fixed on Him and off of me.
So my Ressurection-Egg-Easter-Celebration turned into a little disaster, but maybe my plans needed to be altered a bit. Maybe later we'll hunt for ressurection eggs and share the Easter story in little bits and pieces. We can end with a piece of candy, and I can remind them how sweet it is to love and trust in Jesus. Yeah, that's a good plan...
In repentance and rest is your salvation,
In quietness and trust is your strength,
But you would have none of it.
Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
He rises to show you compassion,
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for Him.
Isaiah 30:15 & 18, NIV
