I know, it's rare for me to just randomly post. I have had a lot on my mind the last few days. Mostly, "Am I doing what I should be doing as a Mother to teach Sedona the IMPORTANT things? You know, about Jesus. About how we want to try to be more like Him. How we can ask ourselves, 'What would Jesus want me to do?' "...those kinds of things. And I think this "Holiday" has been what has had these things on my mind.
I love Easter. I love what it means. It has such an incredible meaning to me personally, but to the entire world. And, a lot like Christmas, the real meaning is so easily forgotten or set aside by commercial things. Now, I am not one to deprive my kids of the "fun" things about Holidays. I will do "Easter things" with them. But, the other day I asked Sedona if she knew what Easter was about. She quickly responded with, "Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny!!!"
Okay, so she is ONLY 3, but I was immediately reminded of my responsibility to teach her what it is really about. A friend of mine posted a "7 Days Till Easter" activity on FB. I looked in our Friend magazine (a children's publication I order from our church) and found the two-page spread and pulled it out. We were a day late starting, but we started.
Let's be honest, I don't think she understood most of what we taught her, even though it was worded so simply. But she listened. She loved the songs that went along with each day's scripture and principle. Last night, while she was combing her hair, I said, "Sedona, do you remember what Easter is all about?" She didn't look at me, just kept combing her hair, and she said, "Jesus died." I guess she heard and understood some of it, and it felt good to know that she was listening.
(she is holding up her completed 7 Days Till Easter)
My favorite part about Easter, and what it is really all about, is Jesus' Atonement. From His suffering in the garden, to his painful death, and his glorious Resurrection! He lives! He did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He suffered for our sins, our sorrows, our disappointments, our aches and pains, and He did it all willingly. Because He loves us. I want Sedona to know that. Jesus LOVES her! He loves her even more than her Dad and I do, and I don't know how that is possible, but it is. I know it is.
Christ suffered for me. For you. And because He made the ultimate sacrifice and died and on the third day, was resurrected, we will live again too. He overcame death. You know what that means for me? Life does not end at death. Therefore, families do not end at death. What a blessing He has given to us!
I will see my baby sister again. My Aunt Kris will be reunited with her children and husband. My Uncle David, cousin Errol, Grandpa Teichert, my Father-in-Law's younger brother Josh, all the people I have loved and lost, will be reunited with their families.
And most important, I get to be with these guys forever! It makes me tear up with joy, just thinking about what Christ did for me so that I can have what I hold most dear through the eternities. This is what I want Sedona (and Titan) to think about when Easter comes around.
Sure the eggs, the bunny, the candy, the family time....those are all really fun. And I enjoyed watching Sedona have fun with all of it. But at the end of the day, the most rewarding thing was for her to tell me that "Jesus died." He did. But He lives! And that is what Easter is about.
