Feet on the Path to Easter

All the plush bunnies are carefully arranged and rearranged on tops of furniture and in five little plastic-woven baskets. Plastic eggs for squealing hunts in the grass rest center on my kitchen cabinet. And at the foot of the stairs for our family to see first each morning is a cobalt vase of silk yellow daffodils and white irises that stand tall by the tomb, rock firmly rolled in front of its opening. In the foyer, the retro shimmering pink Christmas tree has been re-purposed as an Easter Resurrection tree, complete with children-hung eggs, stained-glass butterflies made from soda pop bottles, and leftover yarn "eye of God" ornaments. Even the back french door is covered with floral and butterfly clings that keep moving around when I'm out of sight.To the naked eye, my house is prepared for Easter.

But I know my heart is not.

My ladies' Bible study group is four weeks into a study of Revelation, looking not into the "when" but rather the "what" of Christ's return to earth. The further I've progressed through the prophecy, the more I realize I'm not ready for Him to return. There's so much left to do, so many who think they know but who really haven't even started down the narrow road.

It all begins here--at the cross.

Sure, Christmas may get all the hype, what with the wonder of Christ leaving His throne and choosing to encase Himself in the humble flesh of humanity. Yet, Easter should hold equal importance in the lives of Christians.

Lest we forget, the death and resurrection are as much a part of the equation as the birth.

Christ's birth

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Christ's perfect sacrifice on the cross

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God the Father accepting that sacrifice for all my sin and your sin

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Christ's ultimate triumph over death in His resurrection

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Eternal Salvation for all who believe.

It's two weeks until Palm Sunday. Three weeks until Easter. At this point before Christmas, most of us are busily baking, wrapping gifts, attending parties, and checking off an assortment of other holiday traditions.

But what about Easter? Are you getting prepared? Are you ready to meet the resurrected Lord?

If not, consider joining me and many others @ Ann Voskamp's Holy Experience. For the month of April, she's offering The Trail To the Tree, a 17-day Easter devotional to remind us of why we needed a Savior to come and redeem us all.

Let's prepare our hearts, tag along with Christ on that final dusty journey to Jerusalem, to the cross, to the tomb, and to life.