I heard a little girl ask her mother in the drug store the other day, “Mommy, twis Weester here?” I giggled. “Yes, Weester twis here!” It’s all around us. Giant chocolate eggs wrapped in pink cellophane and shavings of packaged grass fill our baskets and decorate our mantles. What a fresh springtime feeling. Yet, it pales in comparison to the true meaning of this time of year, a purpose far beyond the Easter bunny’s floppy ears or yellow and blue plastic eggs.
My favorite gospel account of Christ’s death and resurrection is found in Matthew 28. The other day as I was reading it once again, I saw something I had never noticed in years past. (Don’t you love it when the Holy Spirit does that?) Do you remember the Easter story of how an angel dressed in white garments descended from heaven and rolled away the stone? And then he sat upon it waiting for Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to appear? Do you remember the angel’s first words to them? In fact, when the two women saw the resurrected Jesus after they left the tomb, Jesus’ words were the same as the angel’s greeting. It wasn’t “Rejoice!” or “To God be the glory.” They both uttered, “Fear not.”
Friend, never have I considered that Fear Not is part of the Easter story. Guess Jesus knew we’d have a tendency to stew over matters out of our control. So what uncertainties lie in your path this Easter as a single mom? In what areas do you feel unsettled?
Fretfulness over impending needs?
Worry over finances?
Disappointment over a relationship?
Sadness over a daughter?
Concern over health?
Uneasiness over job security?
The message of Jesus and the angel was calculated and intentional—Fear not. In other words, I am your overcomer, the One having defeated death, hell, and the grave, the One whose watchful eye is always upon you.
For me Easter means that in Christ I am a conqueror, a victor, a champion over Satan’s schemes to pin me down. Christ is risen above this life and its woes, and guess what? So is my ability to walk above its pressures and fears.
As for me, I’m celebrating this season and praising Christ with all my might! I’m stuffing my grandkids’ baskets with decorative stickers of the cross. I’m making an Easter basket just for me, too—one filled with personalized messages from Jesus, the One I love:
Pam, my peace I leave with you.
Pam, I will equip you for every good work.
Pam, do not fear.
Pam, you are not alone.
Pam, I am alive.
So, right now I’ve placed five—and counting—talking eggs in my basket. I wonder on Easter morning if I’ll have more.
About Pam Kanaly
Aloha! I’m Pam Kanaly, President and co-founder of Arise Ministries. But actually, I think Arise found me wanting to bless single moms years ago. Ministry was never on my mind as a kid. All I wanted to be was a hula dancer. So Mother enrolled me in the tiny tots’ class. Guess God knew I’d have two grandbabies born in Hawaii. I love the great outdoors. You might even find me spending time with my husband grizzly bear watching or camping. In fact, it was on a turkey hunt that God gave me the name Arise Ministries in 2002. I suppose it’s a good thing that I majored in Grammar in college since I love to write words of encouragement to single moms.