Easter Blessings

“This is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24

Easter Sunday was a beautiful day – warm and sunny. We went to Sunday school and church, came home and fixed a feast of a meal, went for a walk around the neighborhood, visited with neighbors along the way, and Skyped with family.

It sounds like a perfect day but that is not the whole story.

My daughter stayed up way too late Saturday night so she was not at all agreeable to getting up for church Sunday morning. Even knowing the Easter Bunny came did not motivate her. Church went OK but she had little patience for visiting with people afterwards. “Come on, Mommy! I’m hungry,” she whined as she pulled my arm. Then, she pitched an almighty fit over the Easter feast menu: Ham, Potatoes au Gratin, Ginger Carrot Puree (OK I knew she would hate this one), Asparagus, Challah Bread and Strawberry Cake. She eventually calmed down – and ate a few of the potatoes- but there was lingering drama off and on the rest of the day.

Now it sounds like a dreadful day but that is not right, either.

It was a day like every other with the usual ups and downs, except with a lot more food and too much chocolate. While I would have loved to have a perfect Easter Sunday, with everyone smiling and happy, dressed in our Sunday best and doing all the festive family stuff that we are supposed to do, I know that is a tall order for our family. Even so, there were plenty of joyful moments sprinkled throughout the day and even the tough moments had their own sort of beauty.

During one of her tantrums, my daughter accused my husband and me of ignoring her, not loving her and being all sorts of mean to her. I calmly placed a hand on her shoulder and replied (as I always do when she gets like this), “I am sorry you feel that way, Sweetheart, but I do love you. No matter how angry you get at me and no matter what you say or do, I will always love you.” It is true, too. I really will love her no matter what.

Isn’t that Easter Message in a nutshell: We are loved no matter what? Even though we are far from perfect, God loves us and that is what matters most. Sometimes we have to have a bad day to really get that.

That night, I tucked my daughter into bed and massaged her arms, legs and back. She looked at me through heavy, sleepy eyes and said, “I love you, Mommy.”

I smiled.

It was a perfect ending to a not so perfect day.