My earliest memories of Easter are composed mostly of images of my siblings and I running around the house searching for brightly colored, candy-filled Easter eggs. As a child, my parents would “hide” eggs for us in plain sight—on the kitchen table, in front of the fire place and right on top of the “time-out chair.” As we got older, the eggs became increasingly harder to find. This unspoken rivalry between the Fry children and the Easter Bunny lasted well into our school-age years and was resurrected years later when our own children were born. Guiding my young daughter and son through their own Easter egg hunts, giving them hints as to whether they were “hot” or “cold” along the way, is one of my fondest memories.
As we grow older, we begin to recognize Easter as something far greater than an egg hunt. We first learn about the coming of Jesus, which is the metaphorical egg in plain sight. God sent His son to this earth to spread his message of love. Jesus’ love was in plain sight for all to see and hopefully choose to accept. Believers far and wide picked up this “egg” and placed it in the “basket” of their hearts.
Even once we have accepted the word of God, we are called to search for the Lord with all our hearts. In so doing, the “eggs” become harder to find. Uncertainty and insecurity seem to burden many of the decisions we make as adults, but if we continue to seek these answers through Christ, we discover more about His will for our lives. Just as we provide hints to young children on an Easter egg hunt, through prayer, scripture and fellowship, He provides us with clues intended to guide us down the righteous path.
This Easter, I hope you share with me in the celebration of life and the unconditional love Jesus has for each and every one of us. Consider what you are searching for and hunt for what really matters.
