Easter at Home
This year, Easter was different for many of us! Due to Covid-19, meeting together in Church and gathering for a large family meal was not an option! I’m sure some families were unable to partake in yearly traditions and I know I can’t be the only one who felt the day was drastically…altered. However, I can’t put all the blame on the pandemic for the change I felt this year!
I believe a big reason it felt different was the fact that we now have a two year old who can listen, communicate and partake in activities and events. This year more than last, I felt like I had even more of a duty to help Tobias understand the resurrection story and what is so special about the Easter holiday! He is old enough to engage, to listen and to learn! God has entrusted this little boy to us and as his parents it’s our job to introduce the Gospel to him. The weight of this realization has been on my heart lately as we go about our daily lives and encounter our sinful nature (both his and mine). I need him to see that it’s so much more than misbehaving. The problem is our sin. Which of course leads to the Gospel message and the wonderful story of Christ’s death and resurrection.
Because we were not able to attend church and we did not gather with family this year, there was the risk that this special, joyous and sacred day would feel like any other day. The more I thought about that the more it bothered me! We had eaten waffles for breakfast and watched our church’s Easter service online, but I wanted Easter to be more than just all the other Sundays we’ve had at home lately! So while Tobias and Andrew were working outside, I put Jediah down for a nap and got to work scraping together an egg hunt/activity, Easter clothes for the boys, communion and of course dinner! 😉
After Tobias woke from his nap, I changed the boys into their “church clothes” and we headed outside for the hunt! As we stepped out the back door, my heart sank as I saw raindrops accumulating on our deck and I regretfully surrendered any hope of an outdoor picture of the boys. However, God held off the rain and Tobias was able to search for his Easter eggs AND we got some great shots of the boys!
Once Tobias had found all his eggs, we came back inside and let him open them one at a time in order! (I had numbered the eggs 1-7) Along with a Hershey kiss, each egg was filled with an object that represented part of the Easter story.
Andrew read the passage of scripture that went with each object and I gave a little explanation!
After we finished with the eggs, we explained communion to Tobias and let him partake in it for the first time. Half stale graham crackers and berry tea were the closest things we had to a typical communion, but Tobias didn’t mind at all!
It was a joyful day focused on all Christ did for us on the cross and celebrating the incredible gift of forgiveness and salvation! It was definitely a different Easter than we are used to, but it turned out to be a very special day that I’ll never forget! Staying home gave me a chance to plan something and be creative at explaining the Resurrection story! We may do our object in the eggs activity every year! We will see! 😊
What are some fun traditions or activities that you do for Easter? I would love to hear!
–Jen
