Empty

Easter is a holiday full of traditions for so many.  Spring decorations and candies fill the shelves of the stores.  Parents fill baskets and await the early morning "wake up call" to see what the Easter Bunny left.  Eggs are dyed or filled with candy and hidden with care for the children to find.  For many, there is a feast of ham and all the side dishes to eat after going to church in the finest of Sunday clothes.

I guess, as a parent, this has not been my strength.  To be honest, our Easter celebration changes from year to year and .... dare I confess this.... we did not even hunt eggs last year.  I can't even find our Easter baskets!  The only "tradition" that we hold to as a family, is one that is occurs daily within the walls of our home.  That is the discussion of the life of Jesus Christ and marveling at the empty tomb..... why?  I cannot help it but talk about it.  That one moment in time- that occurred hundreds of years ago- has become the central focus of my existence.  It is my purpose, my joy, my hope, my past, my present, and my future... it is life.  An empty grave means that the full atonement for my sins was completed and the sacrificial lamb lives!  An empty grave means that my Savior is alive and fully capable of teaching, training, and providing all that I need to thrive in this hard world.  An empty grave is victory- it is my victory!

So, as a family, this affects our daily lives, but it is central to all that this holiday is about for us.  Please don't misunderstand my heart... we have hunted eggs, we have eaten ham, and we do own Easter baskets (somewhere)- however, our focus is on the Savior.  The celebration of an empty grave is much too personal for me.  I cannot pretend that a bunny is what this day is about when it's genuine meaning is my very life breath and my purpose for living.  To focus on anything other than the fact that my Savior lives feels like a betrayal to His very sacrifice.  I guess in some ways, our Easter celebration lasts all year long.  It continues long after the decorations have been put back into storage and the leftovers have been eaten.  Why?  Our celebration is alive and living... just like our Savior!

Today, savor and enjoy all your family Easter traditions, but also savor that we are meant to live out our Easter celebration daily.  Live as the redeemed.  Live as a child of a living God.  Live out the victory of an empty grave!