Chelan

Ricky & I have been havin’ some great coversations lately. He’s challenging me left & right about the things I believe and have grown up believing. The latest discussion was last night on the drive home from Tyler, TX.

He asked me why, at Easter time, do I dress up the kids in extra pretty or handsome outfits and organize an easter-egg hunt around the yards? The best answers I could give him was – for fun, and tradition. I also like to dress up my little girl all feminine & pastelly, and see what other lil children look like in their Easter outfits. It’s cause they’re all so darn cute…but it’s also cause I want to prove (to myself, I suppose) that my kids really are the cutest of all…anywhere. And the photos we get every year are the evidence of just how adorable they can get…so I can’t forget to take those pics.

Easter egg hunts- now, that’s more of a game I’ve done – not just hiding empty or hard boiled eggs, but writing a clue in each one that leads to the next, to the next (etc.), to the final egg that gives a final clue to where the Easter-y present or dessert is. Then, they get to find their reward for completing the hunt with amazing mental strategy.

But again, the question remains, why do I do it? And my answer remains: it’s fun for all &  it’s all about tradition.

Ricky’s point was if fun and tradition (& gifts) take presidence over us teaching them the real reason for celebrating Easter ~ the importance & meaning of Jesus’ death & ressurection, then it becomes a day of mixture. A special day that along the way, people had to add things to take make it even ‘more’ special, more attractive – especially to kids…because how exciting to kids, is a Bible story, really? Easter has been transforming more & more, into a holiday all about us.

The way we look, what we receive, & entertaiment can easily be placed above Christ, the Person on which all of our focus should be. Hmmm…sounds a lot like most churhes these days.

Anyway, Ricky’s basically asking me – shouldn’t God be recognized again, in our families, as far, far above the events, the gift-giving & the emphasis on the way we – or our children – look?

It’s a good question. I’ve got some searching to do. Because I don’t nec. think these things are wrong. I still want to do them. But I wanna make sure, beyond a doubt that I am 1st & foremost  instilling the truths of God’s Word. How Jesus died to cleanse us from our sin – past, present and future – and how he didn’t stay dead. Because He rose and lives again, that makes all the difference in the life of those who follow Him. We now have His Holy Spirit! We get to live new, transformed lives with the daily presence & help of a living God! Jesus, his death & ressurection – this is the crux of our Faith.

It’d be better for me to err on the side of non-tradition than the side of..well, idolatry. So I’m off to think some more about it…maybe God will speak to me on the subject…maybe give me some wisdom about how to balance. That’d be cool.

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update: before I even clicked to publish this post, I happened to have my Bible open next to my HPmini laptop, to Ecclesiastes 11/12. I thought I’d write what my eyes stumbled on:

12:1 ~ Don’t let the excitement of your youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old an no longer enjoy living.

11:9 ~ Young man, it’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it. Do everything you want to do. Take it all in. But remember that you must give an account to God for everything you do.

Thoughts, anyone?