What Does Easter Mean To You?
Easter was like magic for me as a child! Our family was one that celebrated at church and at home. Every year, prior to Easter my grandmother would have us choose a pattern for our yearly new Easter Dress. As years passed and her Arthritis advanced, she would take us to Sullivan's (the big deal in Jesup, GA.) and we would get to pick our own dress.
There was always a big celebration at church and all the older ladies would cook like nobody's business! The cakes, the cobbler's the homemade desserts it was always much anticipated in our family. After church the cousins, friends and adults would usually all come together to hide eggs for the children. I remember my grandfather saying, "this is a day for celebration, the Lord has richly blessed us."
What an honor it was to show off my new dress each year. We were celebrating something huge and it wasn't just the candy and cakes. We were celebrating our Creator. The candy was cool too, but it felt like more. It wasn't a task or a chore, it was an honor. I remember looking in the Azalea bushes that were at least 3 X taller than me, we were always in a hurry to see who could find the most eggs, (real eggs) perfectly died and ready to be eaten with a bit of salt or converted into my grandma's awesome deviled eggs. (A southern staple of every celebration).
In our home prizes were given out, the one who gathered the most eggs got the Huge Chocolate Bunny and the others got smaller chocolate bunnies. Everyone had fun, family, and a purpose. The purpose was to remember who we are in Christ. We are a culture, a family and we all have something amazing to share with each other. Some amazing lesson, some fun tradition or best baked goods ever. The point is we understood our purpose. My hope for each of you is that you will share this Easter. Share who you are with your children and grandchildren. Help them to remember who we are as a people. Preserve our culture and our values for future generations to enjoy.
My wish for us all is to get back to what matters. So often I find myself saying "oh no, I have to get ready for easter or I need to go shopping for Clover's Easter Basket." Those thoughts and feelings are a huge departure from the joy and celebration I felt as a child at Easter. I hope that we never get so busy - that we forget who we are and why we are here. I hope that we don't give our culture away for a paycheck that barely pays the bills. I hope that our wealth doesn't enslave our values. I hope that everyone will remember who we are and where we come from and joyfully share that truth with others. I hope everyone has a Happy Easter! Please share your traditions and happy memories with others, What does Easter mean to you?
