The Easter Season

I’ve always loved Easter. To me it’s a season of hope, renewal, new life, new beginnings, and transition. Isn’t it funny how seasons change over the years? It used to be all about the chocolate bunnies (the sweetness) and finding the Easter eggs (the discovery). Today it’s about the sweetness of spring rain, the hope of forgiveness and the discovery of new life unfolding within and around me through every season.

The whole season of Lent is very moving to me as we give up something so we might reflect on all we have. We slow down and take inventory of who we are and who we want to be in this world. I love the humility and silence of Black or Good Friday…it’s so hard for me to think of it as “good” Friday. It’s more like painful or dark Friday. A day of suffering, pain, and a desire to not be part of the pain or problems of the world anymore.

But then comes Sunday’s sunrise. It’s the beginning of a day of hope, forgiveness, healing, bright colors and rejoicing. It’s the freedom of knowing that even if I try my best I won ‘t be enough, can’t be enough, but Jesus is enough so I can forgive the unforgivable and I can be forgiven. Even more, I’m free to live in JOY, in color, fully alive and fully free to enjoy each day and all the blessings that come my way, along with enjoying being able to use the gifts I have been given to be a blessing to others.