Easter 2012

This was a very different Easter for our family.  You can read in past blogs and see how much our family loves crafts, art and sensory lessons for this most important holiday.  It is the highlight of our year.  Most people will not debate the fact the Jesus was born; however choosing to accept HIM as their atonement for sin and way of salvation is another story.  As many of you know, leading up to Easter Matt was detained and deported.  The kids and I were left waiting each day and wondering if we should begin packing to move or would we too be given a suitcase and asked to leave immediately ourselves.  The day that Matt was jailed was to be the start of our "12 days to Easter" focus.  With him gone it just didn't seem right to color eggs, start resurrection projects and "celebrate".  I was torn (having been given the advice by crisis mangers to make things "normal") to just move forward with our activities or simply wait and celebrate later.  In the first few hours of shock, looking for something to unlock my fuzzy brain, I opened my email to find a prayer sent from a dear friend who had experienced a similar situation.  She advised me to just worship.  Prayer would be hard; reading would be even more difficult; just worship.  I immediately closed the computer and sat on the floor.  How could I just worship?  I couldn't breathe; I couldn't process; I couldn't think!  Surprisingly, tears would not come.  I thought I needed a good cry, but I was so encircled by HIS arms that all I could do was begin to praise Him.  The Spirt that lives within me swelled and engulfed my being.  Strength and clarity of mind came in that moment.  The next day I received an email from my sister-in-law with a song by Aaron Keys, Song of Moses.  It became the "theme" song of the next 10 days.  The kids and I put aside "activities" and decided to just worship.  Christ gave up everything for us.  What would we give up?  Would we give up candy and treats?  Would we give up parties and activities?  Would we give up where we live?  Would we give up all of what we own aside from a suitcase?  Would we give up our daddy/husband?  What would we give up to see people have a relationship with the Almighty?  Christ gave up everything!  It is one thing to say it with your lips, but it is entirely different to stare it in the face and commit to turning it over to HIS hands. Wow, what a lesson for the kids - what a lesson for me!!  Yes, our Easter lacked the color, crafts and candy of years past, but praise Him, praise HIM, PRAISE HIM our hearts have been given a precious touch of his longsuffering, love and life!!  AT

PS: Matt was "returned" to us late in the eveing of Good Friday.  The weekend was spent with much rejoicing!!