Parents, Spring Has Sprung! Words From COVID 19 quarantine*

 Parents, Spring has Sprung. I remember as a boy being so excited when Spring came after the cold weather. I enjoyed the warmth of the Sun after having to bundle up to stay warm when going outside. But I recall that Spring was always fickle. Usually by Easter, we had enjoyed some warm days; days warmed enough to wear shorts or go out in short sleeves a few times... and I don’t mean upper 30/lower 40’s warm, where kids in Ohio think its a heat wave and wear shorts and run down the street with no shirt, SMH, BRRR. I mean like mid 70’s warm. But there was always another deep freeze or two coming before Summer. Looking back to childhood, Mom made a big deal out of Easter clothes for my sister and me. Yes, one year, I had the light blue pastel and white striped Seersucker suit with shorts, I guess I should be glad the outfit didn’t include the straw hat with ribbons hanging off and matching two toned saddle oxfords, with white socks. Apparently, we get the word “Seersucker” from Hindi and it originates from two words meaning “milk” and “sugar.” As a kid I thought it meant, “dressed up” and “uncomfortable”… just give me some well worn Sears Toughskins jeans and t-shirt with the tag cut off. But we dressed up for church, especially Easter. My biggest anticipation for that day was to hunt the couple of dozen Easter Eggs that Mom had boiled hard and helped us dye with PAAS and vinegar the day before. I wanted to get up and hunt eggs before church, but that didn’t happen because everyone was getting ready. I expected to go to church in my Easter Sunday Best, come home, put on my Toughskins, made into Jorts by my Mom after I had worn through the padded knees by sliding on them all the time, and hunt eggs. But NOOO! I got up and it was cold and windy. Spring had given up once again to Old Man Winter. Yet, because I had a Seersucker outfit, I had to wear it to church. I nearly froze to death, but apparently cold doesn’t count when Mom wants “cute” and I would outgrow it before Easter the next year. When we got home, I ran to my room to change out of my pastel pretty-boy suit, only to have to change back for Easter pictures. Then I grabbed the Easter basket, ready to go hunt some eggs, but we had to eat first. The meal usually included ham, yams, some sort of green beans, salad or something and some deviled eggs (these were usually the casualties of the egg dying the day before… and BTW why would we have eggs from the Devil if Easter was such a Holy Day? IDK) and carrot cake (who knew carrots could taste so good?). Finally, my sister and I convinced my Mom to hide some eggs for us outside. Oh my! It was still really cold, but we found them, shivering, teeth chattering and blue lipped. Then it was time for the second round, which we moved inside and my sister and I hid them for each other all around the house. There was always that one egg we couldn’t find, assumed it cracked and was made into the devil’s egg, but several days later, caused a horrible smell, and instigated another more intense egg hunt.

As we read about the very first Easter/Resurrection Day, written by the once “bad egg,” Roman IRS agent named Matthew, who was found and called out by Jesus to become His disciple and a gospel writer, we understand that some Jesus-follower ladies, both named Mary, were eagerly seeking the One they loved, Who had been crucified and placed in a tomb sealed with a great stone. The former tax collector tells us, “After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to view the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, because an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and approached the tomb. He rolled back the stone and was sitting on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow. The guards were so shaken by fear of him that they became like dead men. The angel told the women, ‘Don't be afraid, because I know you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here. For he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, 'He has risen from the dead and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see him there.' Listen, I have told you.’ So, departing quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, they ran to tell his disciples the news. Just then Jesus met them and said, ‘Greetings!’ They came up, took hold of his feet, and worshiped him. Then Jesus told them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they will see me there.’" Matthew 28:1-10 (CSBBible) Even when Spring weather and other things on this planet can be fickle, we can rely on Jesus to always be True to His Word. He said He would be resurrected again, and He was! God promises that if we seek Him with our whole heart, He will be found by us (Jeremiah 29:13-14). If you are hunting eggs this Easter in your Seersucker outfit, be reminded that Jesus came to seek and to save the lost, that’s us!.( Luke 19:10). He won’t stop until He finds us, no matter how rotten we may be. Be found by Jesus right now by seeking Him with your whole heart, in spite of the unreliable fickleness of this world.

Hang in there people! God is glad to be with us! I’m praying for us all!