Friday, April 22, 2011

Dyeing Eggs

In my house, we don't believe in the Easter Bunny or Santa or the Tooth Fairy.  But... we do try to let our kids experience all of the brou-ha-ha that goes along with holidays.  I have fond memories of waking up really early to see what was in my stocking or basket, and one rather disturbing memory of my mom "flittering" into my room to replace a tooth with money.  I want my kids to have these memories too.  More importantly, I want to make sure they can make connections with the real meanings of the holidays we celebrate. (And yes, I realize there is not a Tooth Fairy holiday.)

So today, we set forth with plans of dyeing eggs.  Sean, my 3-year-old was confused and asked this morning if it was time to kill the eggs.  He heard us say "dye" and thought "die."  Once we cleared that confusion, I set my two oldest on a mission -- with $5.00 in the mix.  Whoever could write the best explanatory correlation between dyeing eggs and either becoming a Christian or Jesus's ressurection would win.

SPOILER -- Jared, my 10-year-old, is a spoil-sport, and never wrote anything down.  Jayla, 12, won by default.

Even still, her explanations were pretty good and led to some really meaty discussion about Jesus's first coming, his resurrection, and (my favorite part) when he's coming back to get us.  My sweet, sweet Emma was so excited when she could add details to our story of Jesus dying on the cross and not being in the tomb.  The Lord is so ripening her precious heart.

Jayla came up with three basic connections:
1) Jesus died like an ordinary man just as ordinary eggs are white.  But his ressurection was extraordinary like the beautiful eggs we end up with.
2) The egg resembles our heart -- blank and dull without Jesus; colorful and vibrant with Him.
3) We start out lost, but once we accept Jesus and are baptized, we are washed in his blood (the dye) to live anew.

$5.00 richer, Jayla and spoil-sport Jared helped their little sisters and brother dye their eggs. Their mission this year was to have no two eggs just alike, and so we mixed dye and changed the length of time each one soaked until we came up with 16 very special one-of-a-kind eggs.

I hope they'll remember this Easter with our egg dyeing (not killing, dear Sean), and egg hunting, and even some egg eating.  But most of all, I hope they remember that Jesus died that we may all be forgiven for all of the shameful, dastardly things that we have done and live eternally with him as bright and vibrant as our Easter eggs.   I hope, too, thay you realize Jesus died for YOU!

Happy Easter, my friends!

1 comment:

  1. Precious and touching, Mellonee - I just might borrow your idea. Have a great time at the zoo today!

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