Easter's true meaning revealed

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April 7, 2012

Easter's true meaning revealed

By Melody Brunson Washington Times-Herald The Washington Times-Herald Sat Apr 07, 2012, 07:13 AM EDT

WASHINGTON — Here we go again…walking the fine line of teaching my daughters the real meaning of Holy Week without getting all caught up in the material world of candy and bunnies, and yet not depriving them of the fun and festivities of Easter and springtime.

As I strive to rear my girls to know what’s really important in life, I often reflect to my own childhood. I’m sure my parents wouldn’t call themselves “perfect” by no means, but they somehow managed to teach me right from wrong. And they managed, on a limited income, to make sure my sisters and I had pretty new dresses and shoes to wear Easter morning. As children, we got treats, worked in the kitchen together to make white bunny cakes with coconut icing, dyed colorful eggs, and hid them in the lawn, (or inside the house if it was raining) and then we spent the remainder of Easter, after early sunrise services, enjoying our family and friends.

But among all the festivities and fun, my parents never forgot to instill in us the meaning of the crucifixion and resurrection.

Recently I participated in a parenting class at church, and I learned a lot — several things that I thought I already had down pat. One thing that will always stick with me is, that as parents, we should never let opportunities pass where we can weave the love and power of God into the everyday lives of our children. Talk to them about the meaning of rainbows, the Creation, and how God cares about them so much that He even knows the number of hairs on each person’s head. And, then of course, eventually explain the Cross.

I’m not the world’s most perfect parent. I struggle with even the most simple parenting tasks at times. But I wouldn’t want an opportunity like Easter weekend to pass without sharing the Good News with my girls.

Today we’re planning to hunt some eggs at the Gasthof, maybe head over to Loogootee Methodist for the “Trunk Hop,” and then this afternoon, we are going to have fun in the kitchen. I can’t wait to teach them how to make a homemade white coconut bunny cake. We did that once when they were little, but they’ve forgotten. Tonight, we are going to dye some real eggs and have fun with the decorations.

And, then we’ll go to bed early so we can roll out in time for Easter sunrise. They have new spring dresses and shoes — just like I did when I was a little girl.

Maundy Thursday and Good Friday week will culminate with Easter Sunday, where we will be reminded of the significance of the resurrection. I want to never forget — or fail to teach my children — what happened on the cross more than 2,000 years ago.

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