“Jesus came back like a butterfly. He changed but hasn’t gone away. God’s loving grace is everywhere, from the ground up to the sky. Celebrate the joys of Easter, and look for the butterfly.”
Precious Moments
Hairbows and heels, suit and tie. Seems fitting for Sunday. In our home the preaching was followed a delectable meal around the kitchen table, full of filling foods and boisterous conversation. Naps, leisure time, walks, and back porch sitting encompass a perfect Sunday. The week comes to a sliding halt as a rest day is set aside to give praise for what God has done and provided.
Mom always made blueberry muffins on Sunday mornings- the quick box mix. This is one of the only things she made from a box. We loved them! I was especially excited when it was my Sunday to lick the bowl! Sunday mornings were quick around our home- just like the muffins. We needed to be dressed and ready to leave promptly.
Mother did not require beds to be made on Sundays, only that the covers were neatly folded over.
Dad left before anyone so that he could get to the Church first since he was the Pastor. If we were ready early, we got to ride with him. That was a special treat because we could hear worship practice before anyone else. I can still feel the cold walking inside the empty Church while dad went to turn on the heat. It seemed so hollow and desolate in its open state. But it wasn’t long before the familiar sounds of the congregation would soon fill the pews.
The anticipation in our home for Easter Sunday was a parade of events!
Saturday brought Easter egg dying and Sunday preparations. Everyone’s clothes were pressed to perfection and laid out the night before. We had new dresses, tights, and shoes. Our hair was put in rollers and slept on so that it would be curly for the following day. Mom always had a beautiful dress that she wore, and Dad wore a new suit or one that he had not worn in a while.
Our Easter baskets were always sitting on the kitchen table, filled with sugary joys when we woke up. Peeps, Chocolate bunnies, our hard-boiled eggs that we had dyed the day before, jelly beans, and my favorite-malted covered eggs!
My sister and I got a white stuffed bunny with our Easter basket one year. I believe my mother still has it.
Easter Sunday morning accompanied everyone’s Sunday best! It was time to celebrate a risen Savior! We piled into “Super Church” for all the children to learn about the empty tomb, complete with unique crafts.
After service, the people would file out the front doors and visit on their way down the steps. The children would be playing on the church front lawn, getting scolded by our mothers who wanted to preserve our Easter look.
I, however, had to wait until we took family pictures before I could head off to play.
In all the festivities of bunnies, carrots, and eggs, I never denied why we celebrate. It was evident in everything we did.
After Church brought particular excitement, we often celebrated in friends’ homes because our family lived so far away. Some of those precious people are now home with Jesus, making the memories restful. We went out to eat other times, which was an extra special treat!
My folks still have old VHS tapes of us hunting eggs. We ran around with our Easter baskets in frills and patent leather shoes to gather the dyed eggs throughout the yard.
After Chuck and I got married, some neighbors invited us to join them for Easter. Our families were too far away, so we conceded. That began many years of Easter lunches together and a special bond between the families.
Today, although not together, we keep those friends close. We continue to cook the same meal and remember fondly each Easter we spent collectively. The table is set with fine china, and friends fill our home. Egg hunts are strategically laid out so that my kids will win. Carrot cake on the back porch tops off a delightful afternoon.
It has been many years since those Easter mornings long ago. The dresses we wore as little girls now hang in my girls’ closets. Mother kept them all.
Dressing them is practically surreal. It’s as if I am standing in front of the old Church, with my Easter basket in hand, the smell of spring illuminating the air. I can feel my dress swishing from side to side when I walk, my curls hanging softly.
This Easter, we will arrive at Church in our firmly pressed Easter outfits and arms full of kids, Easter baskets, and Bibles. There will probably be an array of smiles and hidden frustrations between Chuck and me, considering little ones, but HE has undoubtedly risen, and it will be a wonderful day!
Happy Easter
“…Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here but is risen!” Luke 24:5-6
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