Renewal

By Stephanie Fain

Easter. The bunny, the trans-fats. If you are lucky, family, cook-outs, egg hunts, baskets, deviled-eggs, a picture with the bunny if your family has money to spend. They mention the dying of the eggs but what about the dying of the Jesus?

When did Jesus become last on His day?

Whether one is religious or not, this holiday hijacking is not new. (Marsha Marsha Marsha!) An echo of Christmas, I am still finding glitter from Jesus’ birthday four months ago.

Sometimes I feel like that Native American in the commercials on the side of the road, picking up a piece of litter with the singular tear, and then I snap back into reality. I was just this thoughtless person, and am still a part of the problem. I never thought twice about why Easter is Easter, until recently.

You see, I am a new Christian, baptized on the 7th, two years ago (Thank Goodness!). Growing up, I was mildly annoyed we had to go to our family church before Eating at Ryan’s and egg hunting. I kind of remember wondering why we were having dinner at the church that night. Didn’t they know I had a chocolate egg hangover I had been planning on attending since first seeing Wal-Mart’s Easter ad in January? What country is this again? They know that stuff didn’t even happen in America (right?), so why is it interfering with my Easter episodes of Full House and Family Matters? (I promise I grew up.)

So does it work then? The magical mid-day swim with Pastor Nate? Debatable to some. YES! Yes it does. It’s not some overnight, quick-fix, one-stop shop, 3 easy payments and its done kind of thing. I consciously choose God daily. I fail sometimes. I won’t give up. I work on myself with the support and love of my peers. You might see me every day and you might hear me drop some inappropriate content (I think I am so funny), and you may not see a change, but know that I’m nowhere near the person I was two years ago. That person is gone. Don’t come looking for her where she died either. I am literally everywhere else. And I can’t keep my eyes off the sky. That’s Easter to me now!

What is next? Well, what is coming naturally. As for me and my home (my five year old), we will talk about Jesus together, and I’m going to do it in a way that won’t break his heart, so that he understands what I did not. I will spread Jesus through the channel in me that the Holy Spirit has dug, and I will allow God to flow through me as best as I can. I will use the tools and people He gifted me with to gift others.