Easter Week

I was very sad today as I watched the beautiful Notre Dame Cathedral as flames devastated the lovely old and historic church. I understand that it is not a total loss and for that I am grateful. It has been questioned whether it was an accident or an “act”. No speculation, just prayers.

On another note,

Easter, Resurrection Sunday is almost here, and as my memories of Easter Sundays in the past bubble up one by one I first see myself as a four-year old with a little white purse which matched my white patent-leather shoes and frilly white dress, black curls glossy from all the brushing my mother gave them, all while telling me as I squirmed in pain, “Suffer for beauty’s sake, Leenie.”Well “Leenie” wasn’t caring enough for beauty to have her scalp yanked out by her over-zealous mother!

I remember the Easter right before my brother was born that my parents were holding a revival in Charleston, SC. Daddy had rented a space in a trailer park so we could be connected to power, however there was no toilet in that little trailer so my mother, who was a very sick pregnant lady and couldn’t keep anything on her stomach, made use of the pot which my dad so diligently carried out and kept clean. That Easter I shared my Easter basket with a little boy that I was very much in love with and remained friends with until he died last year from cancer.

When I was fifteen there was the Easter the lady in the church with very good intentions decided to make an Easter dress for me, oh how I did not want her to do that! She hauled me down to the basement of the beautiful church we shared with St Luke’s Lutheran, and took my measurements much to my great horror! Wearing that dress was one of the single most embarrassing days of my life! I had no choice of color or material so when I put on that bright pink dress made of some sort of stiff linen, complete with a wide belt that had a mother-of-pearl buckle, I felt completely humiliated. It didn’t fit me well and all I wanted to do was to go back into that church basement and hide!

The next most important Easter memory I have is the one that came on my daughter’s one-month birthday, and I had her dedicated to the Lord!

Lastly I am thinking of Easter six years ago.  As my dad rolled his scooter out of the van to go into the church I stopped him and took a picture of him with my mother, how different it is now, they are both with the risen resurrected Savior in heaven.

I am wondering what might change between now and next year?

Reading the story of the crucifixion, the cruelty, the beating, the crown of thorns pushed down into His flesh, I cannot understand where we get off letting a bunny and baskets of eggs represent this holy day. Did I buy my own children “Easter baskets”? Yes, however I never made the day about the basket or the bunny, just as I never let Christmas be about the Santa.

All I know is that the risen, resurrected Jesus Christ holds my future in His hand and I am feeling pretty well blessed and happy right now on this Easter 2019.