Easter.
Good Friday.
Resurrection Sunday.
The Gospel.
The Bunny.
Eggs.
The importance, significance, meaning of Easter has been one of the hardest messages for us to convey to the kids. Maybe because it's SO important and significant and meaningful. Maybe because some crazy threw in a bunny who delivers eggs at some point in history. Maybe because even as adults it's hard for us to understand this side of heaven.
I've struggled with this so much this year. Our nightly routine demands dividing and conquering. One of us bathes the babes, while the other picks up, does dinner dishes, gets bedrooms ready. I take the girls and do jams and lotion and water and diffuser on, Dan takes Jack and does the same. I lay with the girls and read and talk and yell. Dan takes Jack and rocks and wrestles and holds his breath. This works for us. It's just our routine.
This routine means that Bible reading and questions and explanations for and from the girls fall on me. I love it, but I also feel the weight of it. It could be a plot to delay bedtime, but they come up with some great questions...'how can Jesus live in my heart AND in heaven'? 'If heaven is so cool, why is it sad when people die (Anna and Elsa's parents from Frozen, namely)'? Then they say things that make me get goose bumps... 'I miss Jesus'. 'I don't wanna go to heaven 'cause I'd just miss you so much'. Dan works harder with Jack, it requires more patience and persistence to get him to sleep, but MAN...I feel like I need Billy Graham in the room with me most nights!
Easter is hard. The gruesomeness of the crucifixion...not downplaying it, but not freaking them out. The whole idea of a tomb (they have no reference for that). Death back to life. Grief to joy. Transfiguration, eucharist, resurrection, gospel, sacrifice. It's too much. It's sometimes too much for me...how can it not be too much for them?
Me: Girls, what do we remember at Easter-time?
Them: That Jesus rescued us so we can be friends with God...oh, and there's a bunny!
I learn so much from them.
Rescued,
Momma
