Going All Out

Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them slip from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to your children after them. Deuteronomy 4:9

Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Deuteronomy 6:7

I love holidays! They are a great excuse to celebrate big—make food, hang out with friends and family, travel, go on vacation, etc. Most kids like holidays too because they indicate that something special is about to happen--they are getting ready to be a part of something great. Holidays provide a great way for us to break away from the routine. Well, with Easter (or Resurrection Sunday) just around the corner, we as moms are presented with another opportunity to celebrate Christ’s love with our kids.

Easter is such a beautiful holiday, but it can be difficult to explain its true meaning to a young child. However, I would encourage each of us (including myself) to pray about and follow through with a way to share the Easter story with your children in a way that is applicable and appropriate for their age. Let’s not waste this holiday on simply eggs, chocolate, bunnies, and baskets. Those things are fun, but let’s remember what the focus of our celebration is.

A few weeks ago at Mom to Mom, Linda Anderson shared a few tips with us mommas about passing on the legacy of faith and building belonging within our family. She was not merely talking about Easter, but about celebrations in general. Here are a few points she mentioned:

1. Keep it simple.
2. Remember that the process is more important than the end product. Involve your kids in the process (crafts, cooking, service projects, etc.) instead of keeping them occupied and out of the way.
3. Focus on creating family memories as opposed to people-pleasing.
4. Include others—create a contagious, fun Christian community that other people are delighted to be a part of.
5. Celebrate everyday “God sightings”.
6. Ask yourself: What’s the focus of our celebrations, and are they fun?

I know this blog may seem a bit premature, but I would encourage you to be thinking of ways you can prepare your child’s heart for Easter/Resurrection Sunday so that it is a joyous and memorable holiday for your family. We put so much preparation and emphasis into Christmas, and the excitement over it is extremely contagious. Let’s do the same for Easter! I would encourage you to leave any ideas and suggestions on sharing the Easter story and celebrating with your children in the comments below. Some of us mommas could really use some good ideas (i.e. me). :)

Prayer:

Heavenly Father, we thank you so much that there is a season for everything. Thank you for this Easter season that reminds of us the incredible price you paid so that we could be clean and close to you. Help us share the beauty of what you did on the cross in a way that captures the hearts and minds of even our youngest kids without scaring them. Give us fresh insight and revelation on how we can “let the little children come to you”. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.