Easter Thoughts

Ok, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, or gone into a major funk. For some reason I have been unusually busy the past two weeks. I even had my smarty pants brother call and ask if everything was ok, so I thought I should put up a quick post. I lied, it is quite long and probably one of my deepest posts. I hope I don't get you too sappy from this. I know I had a hard time holding it together, and was thankful everyone else is in bed. I hate to cry in front of anyone.

I received an email from a friend today with a very beautiful video of Christ. It is absolutely wonderful, and brought tears to my eyes. Click here to view this beautiful tribute to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am getting misty just thinking about it, so you know it's great.

This time of year, especially, my thoughts are turned to the Savior and the wonderful gift of eternal life he has given all of us. His suffering was so great, so that he might understand and comfort us in our trials and time of need.

Some of my favorite depictions of the Savior are the simple ones, of him doing things familiar and small. Having a conversation with a child, tending his flock, or feeding a bird. My favorite artists renditions of the Savior are Greg Olsen, Liz Lemon Swindle, and Simon Dewey.

His comfort, kindness and sacrifice are truly beyond comprehension in the simple life we live. To me, in these simple pictures, my heart aches with familiarity. I reminds my soul of a home far beyond the walls I live in now. I have great comfort in the knowledge that my elder Brother is there for me in times of joy and sorrow. "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" the Savior said in Matthew 11:28. What comfort this sweet sentence gives.
In studying his life I have found that his life was so simple. He was born in a humble stable surrounded by animals, not a palace filled with gold. He healed the sick and the blind, raised people from the dead, and spoke in simple parables. He was from a place that was considered lowly in the eyes of many of his own people.

I love this picture because it reminds me of my own children and the conversation they might be having with him. Can't you just imagine what a child might ask the Savior? "Why is the sky blue? Where is heaven? Why do birds get to fly and I don't? I imagine him answering these questions with never ending patients and kindness. Unlike their very mortal and imperfect mother who often says, "I don't know" just to get out of answering so many endless questions. Unlike him I have so many imperfections to keep working on. "Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven," (Matthew 18:4), that is my goal, to humble myself as a little child. I have a feeling it is going to take a very long life of stumbling before I learn that lesson. For some reason I seem to need to make my own mistakes, I wish I were better at learning from other. I could save myself a lot of grief, that's for sure.

I have this picture on the wall in my living room, and it is one of my favorites. I have often wondered what he is thinking. Is he pondering the great trial ahead of him, or is he at peace? Is he enjoying the beauty of the earth? Is he proud of the choices someone is making? He has such a look of love and calmness on his face, like he is smiling at something that the rest of us don't know about yet. Maybe someday I will find out.

I wish you a wonderful Easter season and my you take a quiet moment and remember the life and sacrifice of the Savior and offer some small token of gratitude for the gift of life that we have been freely given. May we all try and pattern our lives from the Savior. I will be thinking of these things this week and hope to draw a little closer to my Savior too. Happy Easter.