April 2020
Gently Updated, April 14, 2022
Want some help planning your Easter celebrations at home? Here are some great ideas. And they don’t have to be done just at Easter.
Have you figured out what you’ll do with your family to celebrate?
Celebrating Easter
The pressure is on. We will be celebrating Easter at home this year. Again.
We may be watching our Church service online this Sunday. We may even be watching services for the week’s events like Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday.
But we are home. We are with our families. And we are the adults.
If there ever was a time we felt the pressure to worship as a family, I think this would be at the top of the list.
We’ve been “home” a long time now, haven’t we?
You have had your schedule disrupted, learned new ways of doing things.
You’ve missed the freedoms you enjoyed so easily before the pandemic.
Oh, staying home isn’t terrible. You’re still all about enjoying family time, playing, and all that.
Me, too. I’m loving the fact that my daughters have time with their children during this time. We’ve all learned to slow down a bit.
And there’s so much to smile about, etc.
But some things are much more serious.
- The real thing that’s going on out in the world.
- The health care workers who go to work every day knowing the risks.
- The people who develop symptoms, and enter the isolation of COVID-19, at home or inpatient.
- And the family members who are forced to give them up to whatever the ultimate outcome is.
- The questions about the disease, the recommendations, and the outcomes.
- The disagreements about everything, fueled by exploiters.
- The economic impact of an unprecedented worldwide pandemic.
- The world situation, and the tension between countries.
But underlying all of this:
- The moral decline of our nation, which seems to be racing to the lowest possible point.
We are coping. Navigating. Examining. Reflecting.
Do you feel you can’t get your footing? So many limitations, adjustments, and difficulties have entered our lives in the last year.
And it’s difficult.
And It’s Holy Week.
It’s the lead-up to the commemoration of an unbelievable sequence of events.
The divine Savior, the Son of God, was murdered before the whole world, tried, beaten, and killed, for proclaiming God, and threatening the power of the system in place.
Then in absolute proof of his divinity, the empty tomb was discovered, and Jesus himself appeared alive in multiple encounters with people — those who were his supporters, and at least one who was not a supporter (yet).
If you’d like to read about Saul who became Paul, and his experience along the Damascus road, read Acts 9.
As believers, we remember the events of the past, celebrating God’s mighty acts among his people.
And it’s not “just because.” It’s a command from God himself.
From the beginning, God’s people were instructed specifically to recall the journey and the events with celebrations and even certain meals and spoken words, to be sure God’s rescues of his people were not forgotten.
Behold: To perceive, see, or gaze upon.
Have you ever come upon a group of people who all are looking at something?
What happens? You look, too.
Something in you wants to see what they see.
What is it that you want to see? And what do you invite others to see, by gazing upon?
How much daily time do we truly spend gazing upon? Beholding?
You want that firm foundation reinforcing all of your actions, all your decisions.
If you’re “gazing upon” Christ, your feet will be turned toward him. That’s helpful when you get ready to move forward. Closer to Him, right?
And, to our joy, it’s Easter, and more eyes are “gazing upon” than ever.
And Then, There’s The Candy
The candy. And the bunny. And the dresses, the egg hunt, the excitement.
It’s so easy to develop an all-or-nothing attitude about our celebrations. Maybe you feel guilty if you say “Easter Bunny” or give your kids the pastel M&M’s.
You feel torn, trying to dovetail all your thoughts and activities to point in the right direction. I know. Me, too.
Where do we look? If we look at the lists of things God hates, these things aren’t there. Like so much of life, we’ve got to navigate some on our own, with a heart that treasures truth.
What if you challenged yourself to maintain a discipline during your celebrations? The discipline is to think about Christ in every single thing you do. “Gaze upon.”
What is it you’ll do with your family?
You’ll celebrate, with Christ at the center.
I’ll be honest: I love Easter crafts. The eggs, the bunnies, the flowers, I just love it all. Is that OK?
Here’s the question:
Can we use our activities and observations to spark conversation with our children about Christ?
Spring, new life, resurrection, purpose, renewal, joy, unexpected things…
How often do you actually say to your children: God created everything — animals, people, everything.
In the Bible, you’ll find that remembering with objects was very common. Can we do that today?
“Always remember: You got this bunny the day we celebrated Easter, and whenever we hold it or see it, we remember that Jesus is alive.”
“I’m putting this pretty bow in your hair so that I will think of Easter each time I see it.”
“Look! New shoes for Easter. Did you know that God kept the Israelites safe and their shoes did not wear out on their long journey?”
“I know you love this superhero toy. He reminds us that we have a real superhero in Jesus.”
Or make Resurrection (Empty Tomb) Rolls with this lady, Wendy, as you talk about Easter with your children.
Maybe you’re not doing these things, and you are afraid it would change the “joy” factor on Easter morning. It won’t. Just remember the deeper joy of knowing your children know Him. There’s nothing better.
I’ve got a few recommendations if you’d like to take a look. Some are here, others are in my Easter Basket post.
Want great resources to celebrate Easter at home?
A storytelling help can be an amazing memory-keeper for your children. My daughter uses Resurrection Eggs to teach the Easter story to her sons. Over time, they are able to repeat it.
There are thousands of cute plush animals for your children. Out of our massive collection, I love the look and feel of the Plush Bunny by Melissa and Doug.
Celebrating Easter is a great time to focus on the season and the details, with lots of reinforcements all around. The bonus is that all your reading material is available indefinitely to your children.
Also, I’ve got a great link for you today.
Tim Challies has a post that was published last year, an article about how to get kids as excited about Easter as Christmas.
The book he mentions, The Garden, The Curtain, and The Cross, is a great book to enjoy with your children this season, leading up to Easter Sunday.
Enjoy his article and the video there.
Benjamin’s Box, the Story of the Resurrection Eggs.
Resurrection Eggs set.
If you’d like another perspective on the ideas and traditions that we all struggle with as parents and grandparents, look no further than Beyond The Bunny by Victoria Osborn.
Sigh. As always, the article I wish I had written. Full of truth and wisdom and resources.
What childhood memories do you have of Easter?
And do you remember a time when the reality of the resurrection came to mean more to you?
Lots of people wear a cross necklace or have a Christian symbol tattoo. Are they believers?
How many people did you pass today who do not understand the resurrection?
In between bunnies, eggs, daffodils, and carrots, can we find ways to share the truth?
While we are focused on Easter (and we should always be) look at my related post Easter and Coronavirus for more thoughts.
I’ve also got a post on how to create a great Easter Basket.
Really important: You. You’re here. Thank you.
Thank you! At GFP company is always welcome!
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Are you on Pinterest? That is a crazy fun place! You can find so many helpful things. Take a look at what I’ve saved for you! A lot of things that never make it to the blog. Here are my Pinterest pins, and I also have categories/boards if you’re looking for something specific.
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-Grammye
I’m Grammye, and I’m collecting and sharing ideas that can help you embrace the life you have.
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