Princess Tents and Blankie Monsters

This glorious long weekend was filled with princess tents and blankie monsters.  I loved every minute of it!

Since we didn’t have school on Friday, I went to my older sister’s house and stayed with her for the Easter weekend.  My older sister has 2 beautiful, well behaved, rambunctious, blonde angels.  Hayden is 5 and Willow is 2, just ask, they’ll tell you!  I didn’t know of a child who could talk as much as my nephew, until my niece started talking…it is so awesomely impossible to understand... and the cutest thing.  For example, my name to her used to be Nana, this weekend it was Danna, Nanna, Banna, Janna, and Panna…she is a good rhymer.  Oh and every time she says anyone’s name, she always yells it twice.  DANNA, DANNA!!!  Like I said, I loved every minute of it!

Ahhhh, kids are such a breath of fresh air.

This morning I got to thinking about the Easter story and how much my wonderful niece and nephew exhibit the Easter story.

I’m sure you all know the basics of the story so I won’t go into much detail.  I don’t want to minimize, but here are the basics: Christ suffered, died and was put in a tomb with a big rock in front.  After three days God revealed his master plan to the world by not allowing Jesus to remain a victim to death.  This story is something that I’m sure you have heard at least once a year since you were old enough to listen, I know I have.  Because of that, I think that sometimes it can get a little dry, a little distant (I mean who can really relate to a cave as a tomb and raising from the dead, really??).

Here is where I see my niece and nephew coming into the picture; they are kids.  You all know some kids right, some wonderful, innocent, beautiful, hope filled kids?  Here is the connection for you, pay attention now; the Easter story is a story to remember and celebrate every April, but the Easter story is also a story to live in everyday for the rest of the year too.  You see, it’s like little kids; they don’t know the suffering and pain their parents go through on their behalf, they live the life that was given to them and they live it filled with joy, love and unshakable hope.  I think sometimes I forget the Easter story the other 51 weeks of the year, I forget what was done so that I, so that you, could have a life filled with joy, love and unshakeable hope.  It is amazing really when you stop to think about the deep Love that gives us this gift.

The challenge is to live this way.  I know just as well as you that it is not easy to live in this hope, it is no cake walk to live in the light of the resurrection all the time.  Getting caught up on details and failed plans is so easy for me, but then I have a weekend filled with Spongebob, ‘mac and the cheese’ (Hayden’s name for  mac and cheese), race-car beds and blonde curls and I remember how life should really be lived.


…Oh yea, I almost forgot….HAPPY EASTER!!!