To my boys:
It’s almost Easter…only four more days. Little Man, you can hardly contain your excitement about Easter egg hunts and baskets full of fun. Little Brother, you don’t really have any idea what’s going on (mostly you just like biting the plastic eggs until they pop open), but you’re happy to go along for the ride. I love to see you so excited, because I love Easter. I love all the family traditions, the time together, the food, the spring weather that appears right around this time.
But most of all, my dear little boys, I love what Easter represents. And I hope, in the midst of all the other festivities, that as you grow up, you will develop your own love and appreciation for the significance of Resurrection Sunday.
You see, right now your world is pretty simple. Your basic needs are met, and we have a lot of fun together as a family. You, thankfully, have not yet faced tragedy in life. You have not know the death of a loved one. You have not suffered greatly (I know you might disagree and cite any number of my motherly failings lately, but trust me on this one: you’ve got it pretty good). And for that I am SO grateful.
But as much as I hate to imagine it, this simple life of yours will not always be so simple. You will experience many joys in life, but you will also have to deal with confusion, pain, sorrow, disappointment, and even–at times–despair. I pray daily that yours will be a happy life, and I believe it will be, but that does not mean it will be completely free of dark times.
I don’t tell you this to make you pessimistic. I tell you because when those dark days come, I want you to know that there is one person who understands all the sorrows you will face in life, who can make beauty from the ashes of your burned out dreams, and who will raise you up triumphant over any difficulty, if you will trust in Him.
It may not be immediate, and it more than likely will not be in the way that you expect, but he will keep his promise to make “all things work together for good to them that love God” (Romans 8:28).
Because God is good, and God is stronger than every trial and temptation you will face in life. I hate the thought that I will not always be able to scoop you up in my arms, give you a kiss, and make your troubles go away. But, I am comforted knowing that He can do that for you, in His own way.
Surely he hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…and with his stripes, we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)
That’s what Easter is about, my sweet boys. It’s about so much more than bunnies and candy. It’s about our ability to find joy and be together as a family forever–no matter what happens in this life–because of what Jesus Christ did for us. The events surrounding Easter show us that no matter how dark Friday may seem, we can be sure that Sunday will always come.
Several years ago I came across this quote:
Our sight is so limited in this life, my little explorers. The world is so much bigger than you can currently comprehend as you play in your sandbox and dream of dinosaurs. And your existence is so much more than the time we spend on this earth.
I know you’re too young to understand all of this now, and that’s okay. It’s enough for me that you know that Jesus loves you. But each year I hope you’ll understand a little more about who He is and what He did for all of us, because there is reason to celebrate…and it’s not because of the bunny. It’s because of Him, and because through Him all things are possible. Happy Easter!
Love,
Mom
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