Sunday, April 5, 2009

Remembering Easter

(Easter when our kids were ages 2, 4, and 5)

I've just been trying to remember Easter as far back as I can. It seems that as I get older, more of my life exists as memories than exists in the present. Even so, I can't seem to bring up just a whole lot of childhood Easter memories. I do remember coloring and hiding eggs. That was always a treat. We didn't do the Easter Bunny thing at our house.....my Daddy just told us about the real reason for Easter....the resurrection of Jesus. You know, I never did miss that bunny !
I do remember always feeling a special excitement on Easter Sunday. I know we should celebrate Jesus rising from the grave every day, but there was just something about everyone in the land celebrating it with you on that special day. Usually Mama would have me a new Easter dress to wear and I confess that as I grew into the teenage years there was a certain pride in my new Easter clothes. I remember in particular a yellow dress in some kind of very soft material with a yellow lace overlay and a yellow satin bow in front. The year I wore that dress I remember feeling SO grown up. The years after that all seem to run together until after I was married and we had our three little children. I followed in my Mama's footsteps, I guess, in that I tried to both emphasize the real meaning of Easter to them and also to have special clothes for them to wear. At times that was somewhat hard to do....the clothes part I mean. I loved to sew back then and usually would make something new for each of them. One particular year, I made a yellow dress for my daughter and made matching blue plaid vests for my two sons. (see picture above) Those were happy, hectic days back then.
Sometimes we would go to a family reunion and they would hide their eggs with lots of their little cousins. Other times it would just be the three of them here at home. Always there would be the eggs that they didn't find and that made their presence known in a week or two with that terrible "rotten egg smell". Alas, now our children have grown up and the egg hunting tradition has been put away. Hopefully the awe and gratitude of our Lord Jesus Christ rising from the grave will never be forgotten. No more do I wrap my children in new garments on Easter morning. They do their own shopping now. But the Lord brought it to my mind just the other day that now I can still wrap my children up, but in garments of prayer instead of cloth. To pray for my children is a great privilege and is especially rewarding when I see God at work in their lives.
I am so thankful that my parents taught me about the risen Savior and that I accepted Him as my own in 1978. What a wonderful day when we, too, will be risen with the Lord and He will put on us a wonderful new Easter garment.....He will wrap us in a robe of His righteousness. What a day that will be !
"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God: for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness......." Isaiah 61:10
I hope you make many happy Easter memories this year!

Marilyn

(this post is also running today at the KJV Blog Directory)

6 comments:

Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend said...

So glad you stopped by my blog.
Don't forget to stop by again. I am going to have a "card box" giveaway every month. This drawing will be the last day of April.
Every comment you leave throughout the month will enter your name in the drawing, so if you visit several times and leave several comments, you will have a better chance to win. This NEW blogger was so touched by all the comments I got on the Blog Party, that I decided to make this a monthly GIFT...
Also, if you link to my blog telling about the monthly giveaway, you will have your name entered 10 extra times...How is that for an incentive?
I was so blown away by all the responses that I wanted to email each person personally, but TIME...has not permitted..but I did love reading all of them..I am continuing to introduce my family members and then there will be some fun blogs coming up from Disney World in May. I am so thankful for all my new friends.

Love your blog!

Leah Adams said...

I LOVE Easter. It is my favorite holiday. I love its meaning. I love the look of spring. I just love Easter.

I so enjoyed the picture of your children. It reminded me of how my mother made my sister and me matching dresses at Easter. I miss her beautifully tailored clothing.

I know that you constantly wrap your children in prayer. What a heritage you are leaving for them.

Happy Resurrection Day!

Leah

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

We still "do" Easter clothes over here! I always get the boys (even the grown ones) something new, whether it be a new shirt or tie or suit. Miss Amelia, well, I can't even tell you the fun I have in picking out her dress every year. She's not much of a "dress girl", so anything I decide upon is fine with her.

I still buy a new Easter dress for myself; this year, I bought one online on sale. I hope it makes it here in time.

Easter was always such a special time in our life as a family when growing up. Special clothes, special food, special fellowship. I think this is why I approach the remembrance with such expectancy in my heart! The cross means more to me because my parents took the extra time to make the season extra special for us all.

Truly, it's my favorite Christian celebration. So much more than Christmas. Easter is our hinge moment. It's the stuff of our everlasting. How I pray to be vigilant to the gift of grace that was given to me on the cross.

May your week, Marilyn, be filled with such sweet remembrance. When I read this line...

"It seems that as I get older, more of my life exists as memories than exists in the present.",

well, it nearly broke my heart. I, too, sense the quickly passing time and want for my present to be seasoned with new memories for tomorrow's remembrance. Perhaps this week will hold a few for you.

Much love, friend.

peace~elaine

Cathryn said...

Hi Marilyn. Thanks for taking us down memory lane. I could relate to much of it. Oh those were such fun days - sewing Easter clothing. I would find the most difficult pattern with lots of ruffles and loved when the girls fussed over their clothing. Good times. Thanks for assisting me in remembering that. Blessings, Cathryn

Beverly Wooley said...

Treasured memories, Marilyn. And I'll bet they mean as much to your kids as they do to you! I look back at pictures in my albums and have such special memories of having made this or that outfit for this or that occasion.

Just think how many picture memories we'd have if we'd had today's digital cameras back in our day! GRIN

Blessing to you and your family this wonderful Easter, my friend.

Jill Beran said...

I enjoyed the look back and my what cute kidos!! I'm living in those crazy hectic days right now - 2, 4 and 6! Non-stop action, we're just the opposite though the oldest is a boy and then two girls. Blessings to you this Easter weekend!!
Jill