Easter Thoughts, 2012

Tomorrow is Easter Sunday. As you can see from the picture, I've been busy today getting everything ready for Julie's family and a couple of other guests to come for lunch and for hunting Easter eggs. You can see that I have the basket ready for Granddaddy Steve to hide them first. Afterwards, the grandkiddoes take turns. We're STILL finding some of the eggs that Maggie hid last year. She was SERIOUS about it. :) The cake in the center is supposed to look like a sunflower on top . . . if you have a good imagination. Yes, the petals are made out of Peeps, and the seeds are chocolate chips. Other than that, it's a "yellow cake with chocolate icing," so surely it will be a hit.

This is our first Easter since Steve's mom died. I found one of her recipes that was included in the cookbook that Central Baptist in Decatur put together a few years ago. Since many Easter memories for my children revolve around lunches and egg hunts at her house, it seemed appropriate somehow to fix her pork roast for tomorrow. It won't be as good as hers was, but maybe the flavors will be similar. It will be great to share the day with Julie, Brian and their 5 children, but, naturally, I wish ALL the kiddoes and grandkiddoes could be here too. They, however, are exactly where they need to be -- in their own churches (in faraway Arkansas :)), teaching their children the truths of Easter, and building memories of their own.

A big part of tomorrow's significance for me revolves around the first choir anthem that we will sing called "I Am." Among the words are these:

I Am the Root of David, the Bright and Morning Star.

I Am the Lion of Judah.

I Am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

I Am faithful and true. I Am the Word of God.

I Am the Spotless Lamb.

I Am the resurrection.

I Am alive forever.

I Am the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

I Am. I Am. I Am the great I Am.

On Wednesday night, January 22, 1986, my Mom practiced this anthem with her choir at First Baptist Church of Troy, AL. She came home that night raving about the wonderful song they had worked on and told my Dad how very much she loved it. She was an alto -- just like me.

The following Saturday morning, she suffered a brain aneurysm and on Monday night, January 27, she died. Exactly one week after she sang "I Am" at choir practice, that same choir filled the choir loft to overflowing and sang it for her funeral. I have heard the song several times since that day, but I've never been in a choir actually singing it myself . . . until tomorrow. In her memory and to the glory of Jesus Christ, I really want to be able to sing it. . . without weeping.

It has become abundantly clear to me as I've pondered this through the years that within seconds of her departure from her earthly life, she was in the presence of her Lord and Savior, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. She has spent the past 26 years singing praises and worshiping. I am convinced that when she has heard Jesus say, "I Am." She has answered with humility and gratitude, "Yes, You Are."