I don’t know about you, but I have traditions I share with my family and friends on Good Friday and Easter. On Good Friday, my closest friends and I take a day trip to Goshen to eat at South Side Soda Shop and just take the day to unplug from social media and our busy lives. Then, on Easter after church, we all gather at a family-friends’ house for endless amounts of food and laughter. We also play a game of baseball for some “friendly” competition (some of us take it way too seriously).

These kinds of traditions make me so grateful for Easter. Easter is primarily about what Christ did for us, but it also is a day for us to all be grateful for the fact that God placed us in each others’ lives. It’s a holiday that reminds us of God’s loving and thoughtful hand on our lives.

This year turned out a little different. On Good Friday none of us were able to get together… in addition to that, Easter was different. My sister spent Easter a couple of hours away and I was serving at my own church during the day. And we didn’t get to play our baseball game because of the temperature. Almost all of our yearly traditions were altered in some way.

Although we didn’t have all our traditions this year, I wouldn’t change a single thing.

As we get older, things change. Traditions change.  Passions, responsibilities, and priorities evolve. And you know what? That’s okay. I think it’s taken me a solid 5 years to get that and to accept that truth. But when I let go of my white-knuckle grip on consistency, it gave me open hands to take in what the true meaning of Easter is.

It’s hard for our families to deal with these changes because we love each other; we desire familiarity, and we enjoy each others’ company. However, this year we had to embrace these changes because of the dreams and priorities we now have. And as much as we would love to have this day be perfect, it’s really not about us (it’s never been about us!).  It doesn’t matter where we are or who we are – all that matters in this season is that we are celebrating the resurrection of our Savior. It’s not about what we do, but about what Jesus did and his victory over death. Today, wherever you are, whoever you are with, whatever you’re doing – whether it’s the same or different from what you are used to – remember that no matter the change from year to year one thing remains the same: Jesus died on the cross for your sins and rose from the dead. He is alive and with you each and every day, so celebrate knowing in your heart your Redeemer is alive and looking out for you. Happy Easter.

Author: Kirsten