Easter 2013

White irises in my backyard

It's hard to believe that Easter has come and gone.  We had a good day.  We colored eggs on Saturday, went to church on Sunday, we had friends over for lunch, and the rest of the day relaxed.  Although there were Easter baskets, there was no hiding of eggs, and it struck me that there will probably be no more hiding of eggs around here until some future time when little grandchildren will be present.  It's a little poignant to think that era of life is over for me....

However, this Easter was made extra special because earlier in the week my youngest son had met with the elders of our church and professed his faith in Jesus and his desire to become a communing member of our church.  So Sunday he joined, and this past week all my children stood with me and we all took communion together for the first time.

As a mother this was a very happy moment for me.  I, like probably every Christian parent, asked that the Lord not give me any children that would not love Him and be His.  Is this the end of having to worry about and pray for my children?  No, of course not.

I have a lot of children teenagers/young adults, and there are many, many things I worry about for them and about them.  Often that is the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep.  There are many dark things that my children have already had to walk through, and many more to go I know.  There have been hurtful things done and foolish choices made.
Hard things have had to be dealt with, and will have to be dealt with, as long as we live here in this fallen world.

I have absolutely no confidence in my abilities as a parent, either.  However, my confidence rests in the word of God, which says this:

"Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:"  Philippians 1:6

And also this:

 "...for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." 2 Timothy 1:12

For now, I rejoice in the resurrection.  Light has overcome darkness; Life has swallowed up death and sin, and will continue to swallow them up until they exist no more.  Alleluia.