This Mama Needs Grace

Happy Easter! If you are new around here, two things you should know about me: I love Easter + I love a good reflection. Hence, reflecting on Easter just feels like a must. I think last Easter, I was too pregnant to fully reflect. I did reflect on Easter 2020 here. Re-reading this reflection, I found myself with some similar feelings, even though circumstantially things are so much better than back in 2020.

This particular line I wrote, resonated deeply: “This girl, who still manages to get in a slump on the most joyous day when we celebrate the Risen King, this girl, needs grace every moment.”

Back in 2020, I was in a slump because we were stuck at home. We could not see family and we were worshipping through a tv screen.

2022 is entirely different. We got to spend lots of time with family. We got to be at church in-person and experience all the fun Easter festivities. Yet, this fickle heart of mine still manages to grumble. Grace every moment. I need it. Every single second. I love Easter for so many reasons, but as I grow older, I love the way Jesus seems to use this special day to humble me and remind me how great my need for Him is. I don’t want to get into the details of my grumblings here, but I will say: I still need a lot of work in handling chaos with grace. One small less than ideal thing happening can really cause me to stumble hard. I really want to get better in this area. I want to be more servant-hearted. More humble. And more aware of the amazing work Jesus is doing in my life even when I don’t always feel it.

This Easter season, there has been so much to be thankful for and so much I want to remember. Here are a few:

1. This was the first year Hudson was able to really understand the Easter Story. It was one of the sweetest things to hear him tell us about everything that happened with Jesus and the empty tomb and how He is Alive! It can be really hard to balance all the fun elements of Easter (bunny, candy, baskets) with the true reason of Easter (Jesus dying for our sins/empty tomb/we get to be with him forever). It has helped having him at a Christian preschool + Sunday School. We also read Jesus Rose for Me a lot and it was perfect for his age!

2. Thatcher’s first Easter! It felt extra special to see both boys experience the joy of Easter morning. I loved watching them both open up their baskets in the morning!

3. Time with family.

4. Spider-Man egg dying. This was a hit and Hudson ate SO many eggs because they were “Spider-Man” eggs.

5. Hudson being so happy to see the Easter bunny (he even made him a drawing). Thatcher being so unhappy to see the Easter bunny (he cried so hard).

6. Hudson got roller blades as a special Easter gift in his basket this year! It was hilarious to watch him literally pull out and be excited about everything else in the basket (things mostly from the dollar tree) and not even the notice this amazing gift right before him. I mean…I resonate with this!

7. I was more tired this Easter season (thank you baby + marathon training), so decided to not do our normal cookie decorating, but I found this spring cupcake mix from Trader Joe’s and it was the perfect easy activity to do together! Plus, it had everything in the box!

8. I meant to create an Easter Curriculum weeks ago, but managed to finish it literally a few days before Easter. Despite not having many days to work on it, I loved seeing Hudson’s excitement to do these “activities.” This curriculum is really fun + colorful. You can find it here. Maybe snag it now and save it for next year!

9. I am also very thankful that story times and community events are back! The week leading up to Easter we enjoyed a wonderful Easter themed story time full of play-dough, crafts and an egg hunt.

This Easter, even in the midst of tiredness and grumblings, my heart is rejoicing in the hope of Jesus. It is rejoicing in the hope of the empty tomb. And it is rejoicing in the fact that “our God is in the business of resurrecting dead things.” Not my words, but heard them today at MOPS and it resonated deeply. Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!