I woke up in the middle of the night last night in a panic. I dreamed it was Easter morning, and I had forgotten to fill the Easter baskets and hide the eggs. I almost got out of bed until I realized I had another day. So I took a deep breath and went back to sleep.
When I woke up this morning, it dawned on me.
I’m not ready for Easter.
Yet in the midst of my panic attack, I heard another voice. A voice that is much calmer. A voice that assures me that Easter is not about me, it’s about something much bigger. Something miraculous that doesn’t depend on my efforts to fill Easter baskets or hide eggs.
Here’s what the voice said:
Keep it simple this year.
I know, this isn’t very profound. But it hit me hard. Probably because life is more complicated than it needs to be right now. Granted, I no longer need to deal with Easter Bunny Drama (I never really liked that sneaky Easter Bunny anyway). Yet I still feel the pressure to make Easter a big production – to get distracted from the real meaning of the death and resurrection of my Lord.
Truth be told, I wasn’t even ready for Lent this year. The season has passed so quickly. In an effort to “keep it simple” this week, I’ve been reading about the last week of Jesus’ life. Every evening, we sit in the living room and read about the events of the day. One thing I’m struck by (with some comfort) is this: the disciples weren’t ready either. They didn’t get it. They didn’t prepare for Easter let alone fathom the events to come. But this didn’t stop Jesus.
I may not be ready for Easter, but maybe that’s a good thing. It forces me to “keep it simple” – to leave room for Jesus to surprise me instead of getting distracted by my own efforts and plans. To even embrace an Easter miracle.
How will you keep Easter simple this year? Are you ready for the unexpected?
Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him and spit on him; they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.”
The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about. (Luke 18: 31-34)
