Easter means many different things to many different people. The world is so diverse and beautiful with so many traditions and sacred holidays that are held in the highest regard. For some it’s a welcomed holiday from their everyday routines that bog us all down. The break in the calendar allows all of us to enjoy family and friends in a relaxed atmosphere.
To others, Easter offers a much needed way of relieving financial pressure by making some extra cash through double time and holiday pay giving the opportunity to stash away some hard earned cash by working through the holiday. It’s a long awaited vacation to others and outdoor adventures such as camping with family and friends. Easter offers so much to so many.
The pressure of Christmas doesn’t exist, and rather it feels like a holiday in the middle of the busyness to breath. To inhale and slowly exhale. And, of course, it means stacks of Easter eggs and an over-abundance of chocolate but I don’t think many of us complain about that. The eggs create excitement for the children (and us adults as well) as they go on a treasure hunt to find as many eggs as they can.
Oh how the children love the hunt and love seeing what everyone else found before they very quickly dive into eating them all up. If Mum and Dad are quick enough they usually have to guide the children on how to not make themselves sick by eating too many at once and come up with a plan to eat the eggs over an extended period of time.
At our Little Miracles Centres, we always give the children opportunities to share with everyone how they spend their Easter and I love hearing all the different stories of our amazing families in our community. Easter is a very important celebration within our immediate family, it has always been a time of great joy and excitement for the Bateman clan.
We love to celebrate the freedom that has been given to us all through Jesus dying on the cross for everyone and rising again so we never have to fear death or anything else in life again. To be able to walk this journey of life in such confidence and freedom encompassed by pure unconditional love is just the most empowering experience ever.
I have found that the longer I walk this journey of life knowing that I live free of all condemnation, released to be fully me because I am loved with a pure and extravagant love by the One who is love, created love and died because of this love, the more empowered and free I am. It just blows my mind that anyone could love as Jesus loves.
He is always kind, always encouraging, always empowering, always believing the best of us and always putting us before Himself. This is just a very small insight to what Easter means to the Bateman family and I am very excited for our celebrations to begin. Not many sleeps to go now, I need to get busy buying ALL the MANY MANY eggs that represent the new life we are blessed to live in because of the love that is shown to us through Jesus on that cross. My prayer is that EVERYONE will know how much they are truly loved.
This Friday, being Good Friday and a public holiday, I want to encourage you to spend that extra time with your family and reflect on what Easter means to you. Be blessed in the knowledge that Jesus saves and enjoy the Easter holidays sharing it with friends and family. How special. I can’t wait to hear your holiday stories and fun chocolate-filled moments with your little ones.
Much love,
Susanna Bateman #littlemiraclescommunity
