Gift Giving

I'm not sure, but something inside of me is changing. I don't know if it's age/maturity, or what exactly it is, but I am looking at holidays differently than I did before. Maybe it is that my thoughts are different. Maybe it is because I want my children to understand the real reasons for our holidays. Even St. Patrick's Day was different this year. I could have cared less if I wore green or not. Learning about the stories behind the holiday has become more and more important to me. Knowing the baby in the manger is more important than honoring him one day a year, learning that Patrick was the reason Christianity came to Ireland, and believing that Easter is totally about new life found in the Risen Christ. These ideas have taken over my thought processes and have made each holiday more special than previous years. Which brings me to Easter gifts.

I had been scoffing at all the Easter decor and paraphernalia in the stores and wondering what the bunny and Jesus have in common. Why do we see bunnies when it's Easter time? I have been thinking on this for awhile. I believe that we can see Christ in everything, no matter how the world perverts it. This is what I came up with: The bunny is a very procreative animal, right? (hehe- I like following that notion) A bunny gives birth to new life (many at one time), then the baby bunnies grow quickly and before you know it they are all having their own baby bunnies. Shouldn't this be the motto of our lives in Christ? We become a believer/follower of Christ, then we "give birth" to new believers and then they go and make new believers, etc. Wow! This not a new idea here. I believe Jesus taught this model of behavior. So why do more people come to church on Easter and Christmas? My personal opinion is: ignorance is bliss. Seriously. Most people in our lives know everyone goes to church on these two holidays, so they go and attendance is good. We have dropped the ball! I've dropped the ball! The church has dropped the ball! Maybe we've had the mentality that making new followers of Christ is the pastor's job, I don't know, but if we are honest, we know that's not true. We are the people that either bring glory and honor to Christ in our lives or not. Our lives are watched by the people around us. They know whether our lives shine of Jesus or not. It is time we stepped up and accepted responsibility. He commissioned us all.

Even when we get it right, and someone asks us what puts that pep in our step or makes us shine brighter on gloomy days, we still drop the ball. We share Christ with them, tell them of His love and gift of salvation and eternal life. Then that's it, we think we've done our job. Isn't that all we're told to do? Nope. If the people we introduce to Christ have no idea they need to pray, and read their Bibles regularly to learn more about God, then they won't. We have no one, but ourselves, to blame when they are not grounded in their faith enough to bring honor and glory to God on their own. We spend little time with the newly saved people and expect them to carry on the "birthing" process. Why then are we dumb-founded when they cannot stay firm when the first wave of the adversary knocks them down? We have not learned the lesson of the bunny. She teaches her babies. We must spend time teaching new believers. We can't expect them to just know the things we've known for years. Jesus spent time with his followers, some more than others, so should we.

Jesus is Easter. He is the reason I celebrate Easter and I won't be scoffing at the bunnies next year, because they will remind me of Jesus' example, hopefully they will remind you, too. Go eat that chocolate bunny, while I get off my soap box!