Yesterday was Ash Wednesday...the beginning of the Easter or Lenten season. This time will culminate with Good Friday on March 29th and Easter on March 31st. This is the greatest celebration for Christians yet for many children, mine included, it often revolves around Easter egg hunts and candy with very little reflection on what this most holiest of days really means.
"Easter egg hunts and chocolate candies inspire great enthusiasm in children! But how can we as Christian parents inspire in our children appreciation for Jesus' death and excitement for His resurrection?
It is the Christmas dilemma all over again, except that Christmas is easier in some respects. Children readily grasp the idea of a sweet little baby in a manger. Stars, angels and sheep on a hillside form lovely pictures in a child's mind.
Easter is a bit trickier, however. The cross is not a comfortable image. Suffering and death are subjects that most adults want to avoid, and they certainly don't relish tackling them with their young children," Ann Hibbard from Family Celebrations at Easter. I will be drawing much of the ideas for the following Lenten devotions from her book.
So how to make Easter meaningful for our children? I believe that if we, as parents, can spend a few minutes every day sharing from the Bible the story of Easter, we can help our children and ourselves understand and embrace the Easter message. Just like we prepare for Christmas with the Advent season, we can prepare for Easter with the Lenten season.
The Lenten season begins today. I will do my best to post a Lenten devotion for each day of Lent until Easter. I pray these devotions will help you and your children learn more about the meaning of Easter and draw closer to Jesus Christ.
I will also include any resources that I have found which do a good job of sharing the Easter story with children. If you, as my reader, have any suggestions, please share them and I will post them daily.
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