herding cats at Easter time (and Claire’s blessing)

If your Easter ever feels a little chaotic or doesn’t go as planned, this little story is for you.

I talked a little about my little Easter epiphany back HERE, but I didn’t have enough time to delve into what actually brought that epiphany so here goes.

When Easter Feels Like “Herding Cats”

I feel like I have been herding cats lately. Everyone is in and out, in and out.

And then we came to the night Claire was getting her patriarchal blessing (remember Lucy got hers a few weeks ago? Back HERE). Oh it wasn’t easy to find even that hour of time to be together with Grace’s babysitting and Lucy’s MCO and Claire’s back-to-back senior stuff mixed in with work and volleyball, but there we were, sitting for fifteen minutes before we had to leave and I could share some Easter stuff.

I hadn’t been able all week to get everyone home to have dinner together let alone sit and have the Easter spirit wash over us, so I was ready to launch into all the things I had been studying about Holy Week. Hey, at least we had fifteen minutes!

Letting Go of the Perfect Easter Plan

But then I looked at those girls sitting there around the table with me and realized Easter isn’t just about appreciating all the things that happened that Holy Week long ago (of course). I realized maybe Easter wasn’t meant to look perfect after all.

Because what it’s about is celebrating that living Christ.

That living Christ who made it possible for us to be saved even on those days when life isn’t going according to plan.

The One who’s life we are trying to emulate.

That living Christ this blessing Claire was getting would help her follow.

Finding Christ in the Middle of the Mess

And the spirit in that kitchen started filling in around us, a family trying to follow that living Christ. To help us have a real connection with Him.

That’s what Easter is all about.

So I let go of all my Easter preparation, and just loved up that family of mine sitting there with me around that big round table.

That spirit lingered as we met with these wonderful people:

And filled us up with so much love.

So grateful to know that not only did He live, teaching parables, performing miracles, a perfect life, and that He suffered and died for us.

But that He lives again.

And that He is here in our “workspace” whenever we will let Him in.

It was the best, most beautiful hour we got together, before every spilled out off to other things again. But oh how I hope we will remember it always!

Maybe the most meaningful Easters are the ones that don’t go as planned.

I’ve gathered more Easter thoughts and ideas all in one spot if you’d like more inspiration.