Hope it was a great Easter for you. We had a tremendous time with our daughters (and our mastiffs) down in Austin. The bluebonnets were in full bloom and more brilliant than I have ever seen them before.
The week before Easter I was a t lunch with some friends and one of the girls asked, “So what’s everyone doing for Easter?” We all answered with about the same answer: going to church, enjoying a family meal, coloring eggs and giving Easter baskets (yes we still that even though the girls are grown), but after I got home from my lunch with my friends I started thinking about what I really should be doing for Easter. In light of what we are celebrating on Easter Sunday, I wish I would have answered my friends by saying, “I’m going to give the gift of mercy and grace to everyone I encounter because that’s the gift Jesus gave me on the cross. In honor of Him I’m going to die to my rights to hold something against another person. I’m going to love and serve others as Jesus did.”
The week before Easter I was a t lunch with some friends and one of the girls asked, “So what’s everyone doing for Easter?” We all answered with about the same answer: going to church, enjoying a family meal, coloring eggs and giving Easter baskets (yes we still that even though the girls are grown), but after I got home from my lunch with my friends I started thinking about what I really should be doing for Easter. In light of what we are celebrating on Easter Sunday, I wish I would have answered my friends by saying, “I’m going to give the gift of mercy and grace to everyone I encounter because that’s the gift Jesus gave me on the cross. In honor of Him I’m going to die to my rights to hold something against another person. I’m going to love and serve others as Jesus did.”
Think about the beauty of the cross and ponder the power of the resurrection. Romans 8:11 reminds us that the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead, lives within us. He is able to give me what I need to love, serve and forgive the people around me. The power of Christ’s resurrection is the cornerstone of our faith. It is a reminder that we too will live with Christ in eternity. It is also a reminder that His spirit gives us strength and power to love like Jesus loved and live like Jesus lived every day we are here on this earth.
Yes, this Easter I still plan to give out baskets filled with goodies, but I also plan to give something much more significant. I plan to give grace and mercy to the people around me and reflect Jesus’ love on Easter. I plan to walk in the power of the resurrection knowing that God is able to do a mighty and transforming work in and through me.
Positive Mom Moment: Now that Easter is over, encourage your kids to continue to celebrate Easter all year long. Talk about how you can continue to give kindness, forgiveness and love to others to honor Jesus. Use one of the leftover Easter baskets (after they have eaten all the candy of course) to put little pieces of paper with random acts of kindness which you all can do for others. Sit down over dinner one night and brainstorm random acts of kindness together as a family. Holding the door open, being nice to someone lonely, baking a cake for the new neighbor, writing a note to lift someone up…all of these can be written down as acts of kindness. Then pick a piece of paper each morning and look for opportunities throughout the day. Share at the dinner table how you were able to carry out your deeds.
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