Now I know some people don’t like bunnies, but I do, especially if they are chocolate. Solid chocolate is even better! Happy memories fill my mind as Easter approaches, which prompts me to plan ahead. This is the only time of the year that I can buy Russell Stovers Milk Chocolate Coconut Nests. They are my favorite. I am anticipating the moment when I will tear open the packaging, take a big sniff, and slowly examine this delicious candy before taking my first bite. I have to make myself save them until after lunch. Otherwise, I will eat them for breakfast. Yes, I said “them.” They are like Lay’s potato chips. You can’t have just one.
I learned some unforgettable lessons from Easter when I was a kid. Sadly, it was less about Jesus and more about things like self-discipline (save some candy for later), sharing (only give my brother the candy that I don’t like), and mastering the art of the Easter egg hunt (get to the eggs first no matter what you have to do). Being competitive to the core, with a few bumps and bruises along the way, was seen as the norm. After all, bragging rights tasted even better than chocolate bunnies and beating my brother was more important than the Easter basket. What a little sinner I was!
I know what some may be thinking, “Pamela, what do you mean was? I’ve seen you in action. You’re still a sinner.” It’s true. I am, but I am also redeemed. For Lent this year, I have been using a Lectionary to read passages from the Old and New Testaments, the Psalms, and the Gospels. It has been a divine appointment for me as God has used these readings to remind me of the bigger story of Easter. I’ve been doing this along with a forty day fast of TV, desserts (including chocolate coconut nests and solid chocolate Easter bunnies), Coke Zero, and my beloved nonfat, no foam, no water, extra hot Chai Tea Lattes from Starbucks. Thank the Lord that he began teaching me at a young age to practice self-discipline. At the time of writing this post, I am on Day 26 with only two weeks left. Hallelujah!
Just like my childhood Easters, Lent is teaching me a few lessons too. I’ve learned that self-discipline isn’t enough to defeat the desires and the cravings of my flesh. I have to depend on the Lord more than myself. I’ve never gone this long without TV in my whole life. Not a problem, because I have a lot of TV shows and movies stored up in my memory bank. The first day, I found myself vividly remembering episodes of my favorite TV shows or a song would prompt the memory of a scene from a movie. If I never watch TV or movies again, I would still have enough to live on for the rest of my life. Within the first twenty-four hours of the fast, I realized that my brain was more clear and less cluttered. But letting go of something so loved was not something I could do on my own. I cried out, “Jesus take the wheel.” That made me think about Carrie Underwood, which made me think about American Idol. Help me, Lord!
I’ve also learned about sharing, not candy this time, but sharing the struggle with friends who are also fasting. Whether sending texts or meeting on Zoom, we’ve talked about our wins and our losses. We share about our times with Jesus and the lessons that we are learning. I am reminded of how important community is. Could I have done this on my own? Probably, but I was invited to share the journey with friends who wanted to say “Yes” to Jesus and “No” to the things that we turn to for comfort and fulfillment. We’ve decided that we need to do this again. Who knew fasting was also like Lay’s potato chips? You can’t do it just once.
Perhaps the greatest lesson came this morning when I was reading John 3:14-21 in the Lectionary. Familiarity with John 3:16 can sometimes make us quickly read the verses around it rather than taking them in. Today verse 17 jumped off the page to me. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Not to condemn, but to save a world that seems to be increasingly sinful. We might be tempted to think that the world he meant was the one where people were kinder and more moral. We might think surely he would not want to save this world we live in now. Look how messed up it is. Sin is flaunted everywhere. People are egotistical, self-centered, self-serving, uncaring, thoughtless, greedy, opportunistic, insensitive, rude, discourteous, ill-mannered, and yet, this is the world he came to save. This is the world in which we display the gospel, the one where we master the art of telling others what Jesus has done in our lives. As a little girl, I learned some unforgettable lessons from Easter. As a follower of Christ, I am learning to live out of his story. After all, I am still a little sinner!
Pamela Hall
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