Easter

Mary’s Monday Musings to Quilt Encouragement
Easter

What images does this word Easter bring to mind?  Bunnies, colorful dyed eggs, baskets full of artificial grass and chocolate candies? Or do you think of pictures of a man being beaten bloody, long heavy nails driven into His hands, and a crown of long sharp thrones jammed on His head with enough force to bring rivulets of blood? Those pictures evoke drastically different emotional responses—fun and delight, or cringes and sadness. As our children grow up, we need to make sure that the childish delights of hunting easter eggs is gradually accompanied with the realization of the reality of the death of Jesus and the suffering He endured when He was crucified for our sakes. With careful consideration of age appropriateness and thoughtful use of words, we gently guide children into the realization that because of His death and the triumph of His resurrection, our sadness about His death turns Easter into a victory which brings amazing joy. Easter changes our responses to death. As hard as it is to imagine when we are sad at the death of anyone we love or admire, God comforts us with that amazing exchange of sadness to the triumph of joy because the resurrection of Jesus brings the hope of eternal life. Even when in sorrow and while our minds struggle to grasp the victory over death, God’s glorious redemptive solution comforts us with the amazing exchange of sadness for the triumph of joy. As strange as it seems, our view of the world undergoes a complete change. Believing in this ultimate sacrifice of our Savior changes our lives. Our belief in this amazing demonstration of God’s love and power brings a gladness we act out by coloring and hunting eggs, by dressing in beautiful cloths and bonnets, AND turning our hearts to ever increase in love for our God and our fellow human beings.