Happy Easter everybody! This is one of my favorite holidays. When I was little I fondly remember waking up and joining the commotion of all my sisters running around and searching for our hidden Easter baskets. And the frustration at finding every basket but your own. I remember baskets hidden in the dryer, in drawers and cupboards, up on top of the grandfather clock, and in the bathtub. After the morning search we would all get dressed in our best (sometimes new) Easter dresses and head off to church. At church we would hear prepared lessons and talks on Jesus Christ, our Savior. We would sing songs of Him, take the sacrament in remembrance of Him, and spend the time worshipping Him. Three hours later we would head home (probably walking while my dad either talked or had meetings) and have the perfect Easter lunch: ham, potato salad, rolls, jello and salad. Yum! My grandparents would always come and join us for lunch and the much anticipated Easter egg hunt. Aaah!! So much excitement for a little body to handle. After lunch, we (all the girls) would have to wait inside while my older sisters made sure we didn't peek out the windows. Meanwhile my parents and grandparents would head outside and hide all the loot. It seemed like it would take them hours to get everything ready, though I'm sure it was only 15 or 20 minutes. Then we would all line up youngest to oldest with our Easter baskets and then run out the door at full speed and get hunting. Ashley "won" every year without question. She was ruthless. Whatever direction she went, we all went the other way because there was no beating her. In the end we would all have our baskets filled with toys, candy, maybe a few coins and possibly some clothes. We'd sit on the lawn and sort through our goodies, and my mom would always make Ashley share some of her finds with the rest of us. That afternoon and evening was always filled with joy and contentment, spending time out in the sun and the warmth of the new spring and playing together as a family with our new treasures. The family time that I remember and cherish is one of the reasons that Easter has such a special place in my heart.
Charlie and Caroline all ready to celebrate this Easter!
As I get older, holidays have changed. The magic of finding hidden baskets and Easter egg hunts is not the same as it used to be. Now I find much more joy in the reason behind the holiday - in this case, Christ and the miracle of His resurrection. As we sat in church today, we sang the hymn "How Great Thou Art." Nearly 4 years ago my sisters and I sang this song at my grandmother's funeral. I couldn't get through it without tears flowing then, and I can't do it now. Particularly the last verse, "When Christ shall come, with shout of acclamation, and bring me home, what joy shall fill my heart." In the midst of my sorrow, it brought me so much peace to think of Grams running joyfully to meet our Savior. She was such an amazing woman and I have no doubt that she is now reunited with her loving parents and watching down on us from above.
Celebrating Easter now brings me so much hope and joy. The miracle of Christ's resurrection - that He lived a perfect life, and was persecuted more that we can possibly ever fathom. That He suffered for me, for all of us, in Gethsemane so that our sins could be forgiven. And that He died on the cross, only to rise again three days later and be the example to the world that we all will live again. That death on this earth is not final. Because of Him, I know that I will see my grandmother again. Because of Him, I know that I can spend eternity with my beautiful family. Because of Him, we can all be forgiven of our sins. We can have a fresh start and the mistakes of our past can be washed away. I love Easter because it reminds me of this. Happiest of Easters to all of you.
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