I originally wanted to start off Holy Week with a Passover dinner, but waited way too long to prepare, so we'll look forward to that next year! We did have several other fun activities, though, that hopefully helped the kids understand Jesus' suffering and resurrection a little better...or at least will help with that as they get older:)
Hunter made resurrection eggs in Cubbies, so (Good) Friday night we told the story together. Eggs 1 and 2 have a palm branch and a coat to represent Jesus riding into Jerusalem (our Palm Sunday)...
Eggs 3 and 4 have a cross and a red ball to represent Jesus dying on the cross and his blood that atoned for our sins...
Egg 5 has a rock to represent the rolling away of the stone covering the tomb...
On Saturday night we made resurrection cookies (thanks, Monica!). I should've been better prepared and things would probably have gone a lot more smoothly, but we still had fun! First the kids beat the pecans to symbolize Jesus being beaten before he was crucified...
Then the kids smelled the vinegar that was offered to Jesus when he was thirsty...
(Insert a couple more steps here that we didn't document with pictures:))
The longest part was whipping all of the ingredients together. We did this for 12 (yes, TWELVE) minutes...
(Insert more steps that I didn't document and am too lazy to go look up.)
After spooning all of the ingredients onto the wax paper, we put them in the oven and the kids sealed it shut with tape, just as the tomb was sealed...
Hunter came in our room Sunday morning, and the first thing he said was, "Let's go get the cookies out of the oven!" He must have dreamed about them all night!
The cookies cracked when you took them off of the paper and they were hollow! Just like the empty tomb!
After trying our cookies, we went out front to turn our cross around...
Hunter didn't want to say the prayer on Good Friday when we put the blank side of the cross up in the yard, but this morning, he asked if he could say the prayer "cause I didn't say it last time, so I need to say it now." And what a heartfelt prayer it was...
"Thank you for the cross.
And thank you for jesus dying on the cross.
And I’m so glad you’re outside.
And amen."
Lord, I am so glad you are outside of that tomb, too. What a joyous day!
We all got ready for church and snapped some quick photos before heading out...
Char was not happy that I handed her over to James (she is the ultimate mama's girl)...
Hunter was not in a picture mood either, but I told him if he'd let me take a picture of him, I'd let him take one of us...
And he did a pretty good job, I think!...
After church the Ansons came over for Easter lunch...
And we all took turns telling the Easter story with the resurrection eggs one more time...
If I were completely honest, I'd tell y'all that I've been a less than devoted follower of Jesus lately. I have just felt distance between us and haven't been able to get back to the closeness with Him that I so desire. Doubts have been creeping in my head and laziness has prevented me from seeking him completely and whole-heartedly.
James likes to watch The Passion of the Christ on Good Friday. I don't usually watch it with him because, truthfully, that movie makes me uncomfortable. It takes me to a dark place, and y'all know how I'm all about the warm, fuzzy movies, right? Predictable, feel good, romantic movies make me comfortable and happy, so those are the ones I choose to watch. But this year, I watched it with him (although I did look away during the particularly gruesome parts), and when it was over, I was uncomfortable and I was in that dark place. But James reminded me of something a good friend of ours said this year in a devotional...that if we don't let ourselves experience the horror and pain and complete despair of the cross, then we can't fully experience the joy of the resurrection.
Each Easter God shows me something new, and this year I have been given a deeper understanding of Jesus' separation from His father when he bore the weight of the world's sin - of my sin - on his shoulders. I've acknowledged His suffering before, even more than that, I've let myself really let it sink in, but I haven't before considered how painful the separation from God the Father must have been for him at that moment.
He loves us. He loves me. Always. Regardless of my complacency and laziness. Regardless of the fact that I was the thorn in his crown and I was the nail in his hand, He loves me. He did it all for me. And for you...
"About the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' - which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'" Matthew 27:46
"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. he is not here; he has risen, just as he said..." Matthew 28:5
