Easter Preparation

How do you prepare for Easter?  New clothes?  Spring hat?  Full cart at the grocery?  Dying eggs? All good and fun, but the most important preparation begins in our hearts.  It is easy to get caught up in the Easter bunny craze and somehow neglect to focus on the real reason for Easter.

The fact that on Friday, Jesus, who had died an absolutely horrible death, was dead and put into a tomb, but that three days later, that tomb was empty.  Our Lord rose from the dead.  Just like he said he would do.  Amazing.  Mind blowing.  Life changing!!

We've been trying to be a bit more intentional about Easter this year.  If J and I don't focus on it, how will the girls ever grasp the true  meaning?  Certainly not by just hoping that they absorb it at Sunday school (although don't get me wrong, this is also a huge component!).  But it is so easy to just go along with the flow and get swept up in the candy, eggs, bunnies and baskets of it all, that all of a sudden, Christ and his sacrifice, becomes just a passing thought or comment.

Hopefully, by little discussions and meaningful (fun!) activities, they will start to understand and fully grasp the full sacrifice Jesus made for each and every one of us by taking on our sins and dying for us.  We don't do anything earth shattering--making resurrection cookies, eating hot cross buns (and "breakfast ice-cream" ha ha!) for breakfast on Good Friday, a prayer walk around the neighborhood (mainly adults, puddle splashing/tree climbing for the kiddos), watching a cute movie for family movie night, spending some quite time reflecting on Jesus' sacrifices.  But it opens the door for conversation and discussion about what Easter really is about.

Don't get me wrong--we've still got our new clothes, dyed eggs and enough chocolate and jelly bean eggs to give anyone a sugar rush!  But most importantly, we've got the promise of  new, eternal life that only he can give.  What can top that?