Yesterday I was driving more than I usually do.  I don’t particularly like driving.  Ok, I hate it.  But I do enjoy that it gives me time to think.

Yesterday, I was thinking about the Easter Bunny.

Why do we do it?

But then, why do I make Scones on March 15th to celebrate the day we got laid off in CA.  Why do we dress-up as a family for Halloween and go out and ask for candy?

I mean, we do some pretty weird things.

I am a mom, a mom who loves traditions.  Seriously, I crave the automation of a holiday.  Oh — it’s Christmas Eve.  We always watch the same 3 movies cuddled up on the couch with love and goofiness on our faces.

But this bunny… what an odd tradition.  And frankly, I don’t know why or where it came from.  I do love the hunt, and how there is a prize and I LOVE it when there are a LOT of kids all running to get eggs.  I think because it reminds me of Steel Magnolias.  I love that movie.  I feel like I’m getting off track here….

Today begins Easter Week.  In my sidebar you’ll find more about Easter, and nothing about a bunny.  If you’re on my mobile site and you don’t see my sidebar — click to this VERY cool Easter site.

As I clicked through I realized that today was the day that Jesus entered as a king.

He was praised and lauded.  People loved him.  He healed the sick, the dead he raised, good works were his… his name be praised {I had to finish it}.  What a huge dichotomy to what happened to Him the next week.

What a week!  I have a hard time thinking about what happened in that week.  How feelings can turn from thoughts of love to thoughts and actions of killing Him.  You can find all sorts of great (Royalty-free) Easter images here.  Suffice it to say He loved us to not only heal the sick and raise the dead.  He allowed regular mortals to kill Him.

And we have a bunny.

That isn’t to say that the bunny won’t be coming to our house.  I strongly believe that the traditions we have will lead us to the holiday with more excitement and allow us to remember it more, somehow.

This is going to be a hard week at our house.  We have a tough announcement (no one is dying) that we plan to share with the world.  He will help us.  He wants us to have joy, and be happy.  THAT is what Easter is about.  He took upon us every sorrow, every tragedy so that we could be happy. Have you ever thought of it that way?  He did that so that we wouldn’t have to be unhappy or stressed out, or filled with anxiety.  He can take that away.  It’s not just the times you feel as thought you need to talk to your priest and say a few hail Mary’s (Mormons don’t do that, btw).  It’s about the hard times, and the time your heart hurts.  He fixes that too.

But you have to let him.  You have to ask that he take that from you.  He will, but you have to have the faith that He can, and he will.  He’s done it for me a lot lately.

Now is the time to USE what happened Easter week.  He wants us to.  I like the analogy to Christ’s atonement is an eraser.  It is huge and never-ending and it doesn’t matter how often you use it, just that you do.

He will help you.  He will bring back your joy.  Just like he did for Mary Magdalene.  He can and He will, and he WANTS to.  I testify that he loves you enough to let you be happy, and to take whatever it is hurting away from you.  There is SO much hurt in this world.

#becauseHeLives you can be happy

Will you take it?

Happy Easter everyone, may you be happy in your homes, in your hearts and in your lives.  That’s what He wants.