"But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts - murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them." Matthew 15:18-20
This post is linked to Titus 2sdays at Time Warp Wife
I hope you had a wonderful Easter, I did! This was our first holiday in our new home - and in my new kitchen, which I love!!
But this post is not about my kitchen, it's about the meaning of Easter. The true meaning of Easter is something I appreciate more and more as I get older, wiser and as I learn the true meaning of being a parent.
Easter is all about salvation. Christ died for YOU. A most solemn sacrifice so that each and every one of us may have the opportunity to choose an eternity of peace. God gave his son willingly, WILLINGLY. One for the masses.
But I warn those of you who think this sacrifice, this gift, is cruel or barbaric - do not confuse willingly with easily.
It must have been an agonizing sacrifice, one I cannot and hope to never be able to fathom. I imagine it may feel similar to the hell parents of a terminally ill child feel when they must choose to forgo treatment in order to make the most of the time they have left with their precious child.
And yet He did it willingly for us all - because He wanted to bless us and He knew He would be with His son again.
This point was driven home when I read this poignant post from Dana of Roscommon Acres. She witnessed her little son, crushed by the weight of a dresser, bloody and soon to be lifeless. And yet she still praises the name of God in His sovereignty because she understands that
Thank you Dana for your insight, it has changed my outlook. Completely. I have to wonder, when did sacrifice become a bad thing? When it happened to us? When we became the one who had to do the sacrificing? I guess so. I know I don't want to be a called upon for such sacrifice. But what happened to honor, courage and unselfishness? Have I lost these virtues? Have we as a people? Did we ever have them?"His character is not dependent on my circumstances....not revealed through my wealth nor through my safety nor through my comfort. His character is revealed through the cross."
Then today my brother who made it safely through two tours of duty-praise God-, one in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, learned he lost a friend serving in Afghanistan to a grenade attack. He was 22. Only 22.
Another worthy sacrifice.
I remind myself not to take such sacrifices lightly. Because of people like my brother and his friend I have a freedom people in many other countries cannot fathom. Because of people like Dana and her son Tiggy I am a better mother. Because of God and His son I have eternal life and so much more.
On Easter morning I had the song How Great Thou Art stuck in my head. I couldn't understand why because I couldn't remember the lyrics. I just sang the chorus and a few random verses over and overwhile preparing our Easter meal. But when my friend posted it on Facebook this morning I suddenly understood why God put it in my heart. It's an Easter song that tells the story of salvation. His is risen and He is great indeed.
There is also a big need for food. Right now the kids are mostly getting is pinto beans, rice, and cassava flour "posho" (which is very bland, and tastes kinda like gritty non/salty play-dough. I have a hard time eating it. It's typical boarding school food in Uganda, but I really would like for them to get more healthy food, like fruit or peanuts or pineapple or avocado or bananas or matoke (which is a Ugandan cooked banana that tastes like squash, it's yummy and healthy), or cabbage. When multiplying by 700 it just costs so much to add variety.
and The Mission-Minded Child!
