I love Easter. Easter was always my mom's favorite holiday and her favorite time of year. Its a wonderful time of reflection to really remember what God did for us. The sacrifice He made. WOW.
As many people know I started teaching the children's Sunday school class at my church almost a year ago now. It has been quite a learning experience and a journey as well as a blessing. My passion has always been working with senior citizens. My dream as a child was to own and operate my own nursing home so that I could take care of the senior adults and assure them that somebody did still love and care about them, even if it was just me. And that still is my dream and goal. With that being said, I never really felt much of a calling to work with children. However I have been babysitting since I was 12 and still do so now for several of my friends, I have taught Cubbies in Awana's, helped in children's church and VBS and now teach Sunday school. Obviously God has me working with children for a reason.
My first Sunday teaching......well the kids pretty much ate me alive. I was unprepared, and spent the entire class begging the children to please not hit, scream, yell, call names, or leave the classroom. I am not even sure if we made it through the lesson and I'm pretty sure there weren't but 5 or 6 kids including Teresa. It was quite an experience. Since that time, our class has grown and I have grown alot as a teacher, things don't always run smoothly but I definitely feel like God has placed me in this position for a reason. This past week I was asked to fill in for Wednesday night service with the kids. I started praying about what to teach and how to keep the children entertained. God really started to speak to me on finding a way for the children to really understand what occurred during this week in history. I started the class by telling the Easter story, I focused alot on the emotions of the disciples, and Mary, and Pilot and the other witnesses of the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Then I asked the children to take off their shoes and socks and sit in a circle. I then went to each child individually and washed their feet and explained to them how Jesus had washed the disciples feet. Several of the children felt the awkwardness of it which gave me an opportunity to explain why He did it. We then sat around and had juice and cookies (the kid friendly version of communion) and I helped the kids imagine the intensity of the Last Supper. From Jesus knowing that He was about to die and fulfill His purpose that God sent Him here for, to the disciples knowing this was the last meal they were going to share with Him, the emotions of sadness, uncertainty on how things were about to occur, who was going to betray and deny......
I think I got just as much, if not more, from the lesson than the children did. I don't know that I had ever really taken the time to focus on what that meal must of really been like.
I love the innocent minds of children. One child asked about why is it called good Friday since Jesus died? I loved being able to really share that with them and how it was important for Him to die and more importantly that HE didn't stay dead!
I really felt the impact of it when I asked Teresa what today was and why it was called Good Friday. My 7 yr old daughter told me exactly why Jesus died. She told me that He died so we wouldn't have to die for our sins. And so that we could go to heaven and see God when we die. I love the simplicity of her explanation and how like many children she accepts it without question or doubt.
As a mother I feel so blessed to have her and I love her so much! Then I thought about how I could never sacrifice her for any reason, but God did, He sacrificed His only child.....watched Him suffer and die....for ME! (and YOU)
Its simply amazing.
Just take time this Easter to reflect on the real meaning of this time of year, but don't keep this to yourself, make sure you share it with someone. :)
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