Easter Eve Eve

Well, tonight is the eve of Easter eve.  It's Friday night and I know that with the excitement of the party and company on Saturday night that I won't get on this blog.  Anyway, a few thoughts here...

Easter has always been my favorite holiday.  I love the promise of eternal life that Easter represents.  I think of Easter nearly every time I take communion and every time I go to a funeral.  But I also love the promise of New Life that Easter represents for the today.  If our culture would allow it, I think I would switch how I celebrate Easter with Christmas... with lavish dinners, presents and celebrations, getting together with family, lots of parties, etc.  I do love Christmas, but I love Easter, too.  So anyway, I hope to make this fantastic holiday, Easter, a BIG DEAL at our house.

There have been two times in my life that I felt an incredible sense of victory in Jesus.  One was when the twins were born.  I felt so privileged to have a semi-front row seat as some of my family walked through the adoption process, with all it's ups and downs and steps and small celebrations and unknowns... I don't think I had ever prayed so hard in all my life (my knees seriously hurt).  And I'll never forget feeling the incredible excitement of holding these two answered prayers in my arms (twins, can you believe it? Double the joy!!).  I really believe there is something incredibly sacred about the adoption process.  I love this picture.  I named it "God Answers Prayer."



The second time was last Easter.  I tear up thinking about it.  I had miscarried before I got pregnant with Dekker.  And I remember during the time in-between the miscarriage and getting pregnant with Dekker-- seeing a friend of mine holding her brand new baby, raising her hands to God during worship one Sunday in church.  I cried and cried.  I didn't cry because I was mad at her, or anything else.  I was just sad.  And afraid, that that would never be me.  I prayed that someday I would have a new baby to hold during worship.  Then, last April Dekker was born two weeks early.  We brought him home just in time for Easter Sunday.  I took him in a sling and dressed him in a little Easter Bunny outfit that I was sure he would never get to wear.  And I raised my hands in worship to God while holding my little boy.  I couldn't believe my luck-- a baby, for Easter Sunday.  I contemplated in a whole different way a God who loves us so much that he sent his Son to die on the cross.



So this holiday, that has long been one of my favorites, is now yet another reminder of the incredible God who not only gave His Son for my sins, but also gave me my own son-- and in doing so helped me better understand His (grand) love for me.  I wish every time I prayed for something that it ended this pretty (I've been struggling with prayer a lot lately).  Even still, it doesn't take away the beauty of this season for me.  I hope you have a beautiful Easter, too.

On the journey,

Stef