Mommy's Easter Lesson

Today started early. Because my husband is on call this weekend, we have scarcely seen his face. I heard his voice a bit on the phone in the bed next to me until about 1am when he got out of bed and went into the hospital to operate. He returned around 5am to rest a bit and wait for the children to wake up. Because we have still not adjusted to Daylight Savings, they actually slept until about 7:15. We scrambled downstairs to see if the Easter Bunny had paid us a visit, checked on our Easter Story cookies (mine didn’t work out well, they were not hollow…were yours?), then sent Daddy to usher at the early service, make rounds and (hopefully) join us for the 11 o’clock service and lunch.

Over breakfast the children and I were talking about what it meant that He is alive…I started humming a song I couldn’t remember the lyrics too, which led to a youtube search. Next thing you know, the children and I are watching Dolly Parton on youtube singing a different He’s Alive. This led to the Don Francisco version and ultimately a few scenes from The Passion of the Christ as we ate our bacon and eggs. The children were actually very interested and therefore learning a lot about Easter. I was pleased with how our day was going until I looked at the clock, then looked at the four of us and realized it was going to be an Easter miracle for us to make it to Sunday School.

This is where the day took a turn for the worst. Suddenly, Snappy & Impatient Mommy reared her ugly head. I put the children in front of Max and Ruby while I dashed to get dressed. Because I had put no thought at all into what I was going to wear, I was grumpy as I scrambled through my closet. There was no time for a shower, so I did my best to pull myself together, then moved on to the children.

I pulled out their new clothes and shoes. Everything looked a bit wrinkled, but being on-time was still within reach, so I opted to skip the ironing and dress everyone. As I pulled out the new shoes I realized I had a lot of lacing to do! Once they were dressed, I looked at the children and groaned. They were ridiculously wrinkled. I set up the ironing board, stripped them all and attempted speed starching and pressing. Once everyone was redressed we ran for the door, I snapped at everyone's heels a little more for good measure, buckled us in (me still sans make-up) and glanced at the clock: 10:05. We were late. I was stressed. The children were even more wrinkled than they had been before.

Suddenly, I heard that still, small voice question my attitude, my motives, my heart. Yuck! We had experienced more about the meaning of Easter one hour before around my kitchen island watching youtube videos than we were feeling now, dressed in our finery, obediently heading to church. I had even forgotten to get a picture! I exhaled deeply and starting singing my own Easter version of "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" for the children. When we arrived at church I exhaled again, brushed my hair, put on my make-up and resolved to Get Over It. We were late. In the grand scheme of things, so what? (And lots of other people were walking in at the same time! :-)

The Sunday School lesson started right as I arrived. The church service was beautiful and meaningful. The message was one God had already been teaching me all morning: the paradox of Jesus, fully God and fully Man. I really try to focus on things above, but I fail miserably. As I tell my children about loving others and keeping an eternal perspective, I all too often model frustration and a preoccupation with the material and insignificant.

So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Romans 7:21-25

That's it! The reason we celebrate Easter, the reason I need Him, is that no matter how well we appear and well-intentioned we are, sin is right beneath the surface. He has been victorious over this sin that entraps me AND He loves me and extends grace and forgiveness to my shallow, snappy, messing-it-up-more-than-getting-it-right self.

I sat next to a couple that has been visiting our church for the past couple of months. Their outward appearance is a far cry from the white, professional, upper middle class majority in our ranks. Their countenance, their kindness...that is a whole different story! They simply exude joy and love. What a blessing to sit with them this morning as they were the only folks in our grand sanctuary actually verbalizing the Amens and Hallelujahs many others were feeling!

My husband arrived midway through the service and accompanied us to lunch at our usual restaurant. As our waiter (who serves us weekly after church) greeted us, my P exclaimed, "Jesus is ALIVE! Did you know that?"

I am so glad my kids get it...and that God's tug on their lives is strong enough to cover the multitude of sins and failures of their Mom!

Daddy was paged back to the hospital for an emergency just as we were seated. I managed to get food for everyone from the buffet (a couple of times) and take R to the potty thanks to the kindness of friends in the restaurant! Somehow I even managed to remain calm and smile as chocolate mousse spots dotted all three of the children (and I still needed to snap a picture.) I guess I got my Easter miracle afterall!