Monday, April 2, 2007

Monday Moment: The Gifts of Easter

The great gift of Easter is hope -
Christian hope which makes us have
that confidence in God, in His ultimate triumph,
and in His goodness and love,
which nothing can shake.
-Basil C. Hume


My Easter centerpiece this year is rather ... boring, I suppose. While others sport bunnies and folk art chicks and brilliantly-colored eggs, my display consists of stuff I gathered around Freeman House: lamb's ear, ivy, wildflowers, dead leaves, grapes and growing grape vines, a bird's nest (abandoned in the fall), and undyed eggs. Rather a dull and heaping visual-mishmash, isn't it?

But this year, the centerpiece actually means something to me. Really. You see, for a Christian, Easter is the celebration of celebrations. It's the time of year we stand in joyfully in awe of the gift of our Savior. Of His death, burial, and resurrection. Sure, we wear dresses and file into pews. We eat ham and asparagus and new potatoes. But to us, Easter is more than bunnies and baskets. It's about Christ and the crucifixion. About His resurrection and His redemption. In a word, Easter is about a heavenly hope.

So as I prepared an Easter display this year, I wandered about, thinking of how blessed I am... how blessed we all are... to have an Easter to celebrate. In the garden I noticed the lamb's ear and thought of how Jesus is often referred to as the "Lamb of God", whose sacrifice did indeed take away the sins of the world. In went the lamb's ear.

Then I saw the wildflowers and thought of the verse that says, The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of God will stand forever. Forever. The word will stand forever because of the resurrection. I picked the wildflowers.

Walking past the tender and entwining grape vine, I remembered the Last Supper and Jesus praying in the garden, saying, Father, if it's possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. But let your will be done rather than mine. (Matthew 26:39.) Down came the grape vine and in went the grapes.

And of course, the eggs. Every Easter has to have eggs. But after thinking through it, I gently laid one in the bird's nest that used to nestle in the crepe myrtle. It calmed me, thinking of what Jesus said in John 10:29: What my Father has given me is more precious than all besides; and no one is able to wrest anything from my Father's hand. I was reminded that we are precious... secure and precious, bought and paid for on Easter, and that just as an egg sits treasured and secure in a nest, so too do we sit treasured and secure in the hand of our heavenly Father. Nothing will wrest us from that nest....

And it's because of Easter. It's all because of Easter. Thank you, God.

Please pass the hope... and the ham.

Do not abandon yourselves to despair.
We are the Easter people
And hallelujah is our song.

-Pope John Paul II

Monday Moment is just a little devotional to help you kick start your week. Thanks for reading! See you again next week.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brin - well said! My son, who is now 15, never received an "Easter" basket - so to speak! It was very important to us that he realize what Easter was about - the resurrection of Christ! Yes, we gave him a small gift - but, we inentionally tied it into the reason we celebrate Easter! May God Bless you this season - and may we all be reminded DAILY of the gift that was given to us through the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

MyLifeWithTrent said...

Beautiful Brin! I can't wait to go create an Easter centerpiece now! I'll be thinking of the significance of each item. :)

Anonymous said...

That was a beautiful post. Thank you Brin!

Cherry xx

Anonymous said...

i don't think your center piece is dull at all! love your monday moments! connie

Unknown said...

Brin, it's just lovely and this post is wonderful too, thanks for the natural approach in a center piece and the reminder of the day. Your a inspriation!

Anonymous said...

Brin,

Thanks for reminding everyone what this time is all about. I really needed to hear those words today!

God Bless us All.

Amber

~~Mikki Jo said...

How beautiful! I'm really at a loss for words. The message was expressed so lovingly and eloquently. The gentle spirit of Christ surely touched my heart. Thanks so much for sharing.

cammy said...

Such a beautiful post Brin. You are such an inspiration to me. Thanks for reminding us what a wonderful gift we have been given by God. Blessings to you.