Easter was a little different this year.
There were no church gatherings. No huge egg hunts. No big family dinner.
It was quiet and reflective. Just as it should’ve been.
Because of the quarantine, our family had copious amounts of time on our hands. Just like everyone else around the country. The kids finished their school work mid-week which allowed us even more time to truly reflect on the meaning of Easter.
Throughout the week leading up to Easter, our family walked through the final days of Jesus. Each night at dinner, we read a passage of Scripture corresponding to each day and talked about what Jesus and the other cast of characters might have felt as they experienced the final week of His life. And as a reward for good listening each night, everybody got a Hershey’s kiss – Jiliienne especially liked that part!
We dyed Easter eggs which is always a fun activity for the kids.
Because it was supposed to rain on Easter Sunday, we had an Easter egg hunt in the front yard on Saturday. The kids always love this part of Easter and it makes me wonder when they will outgrow the thrill of the hunt. I mean, seriously, they get so excited about running around the yard looking for plastic eggs. I just don’t get it. Ha!
And then on Sunday morning, we watched our church service online and participated in the Lord’s Supper virtually with our Hilldale Baptist Church family. There may have been weeping and gnashing of teeth as the three youngest kids climbed all over me throughout the service, jealous of each other’s attempts at my affection. It wasn’t ideal but I’m praying that, throughout all the ruckus, something our pastor said might have gotten through and touched their hearts in a mighty way.
This week, as we looked forward to a traditional Easter dinner, I allowed each child to pick something they wanted to eat. And so our Easter dinner was comprised of baked ham, deviled eggs, cherry fluff salad, baked potatoes, rolls, and Death by Chocolate for dessert.
It was a quiet dinner but because we are a military family and we can’t always travel to see loved ones, it isn’t unusual to have a small intimate meal on holidays. In this respect, Easter dinner wasn’t too different from what we’ve sometimes experienced in the past.
My prayer is that your family was able to spend Easter and the days leading up to it in reflection of all that Jesus has done in your life. May this time in “quarantine” give us an even greater appreciation for Jesus, for our family, and for all the blessings He has given us.
