I think many people think it is, especially our children. Gone are the Easter eggs, bunnies and candy! even some adults have forgotten why we have Easter in the first place. We know Easter eggs are not any season to worship, but we have given our children that thought. Certainly God has tried to change all that with grey skies and rain!

The Holy week and Easter day were very different in our family. We had planned to have a dinner after church that day but one daughter, two grandsons, a granddaughter and myself, were sick so we had to postpone it. We had our family dinner yesterday, the 15th. I don’t think we were thinking about the reason for Easter. Our daughter had the prayer before dinner and might have mentioned it. I didn’t hear her. She was at the other end of the table, so I had my own prayer. We ate, talked and played games and had a real good time. When my folks were putting on their coats, ready to go home, I said, “He is risen” and they all answered, “He risen indeed!” That did it. They all felt it. Yes, He is risen! Sometimes it only takes that big phrase, and what a big phrase it is, isn’t it?

Those three words are Easter , aren’t they? If we couldn’t say those words, He is still in the tomb and we would not be forgiven, He would have died just like the other two who were hanging on the three crosses. As it was, He died on the cross for us, His blood, which flowed out of his body after someone pierced His side, forgave the sins of the whole world, and if we believe that and take it into our lives we receive the gift of eternal life. And if you believe those three words and what they mean, Easter will mean much more to you than Easter eggs and bunnies. Just think. If everyone believed these three little words, our country would be on the right path. Wouldn’t that be nice.

Life is a series of struggles. I think we are having more than ever lately. And now we add to our struggles by arresting a former president of our country, this after he has endured two impeachments which has found him innocent of anything. This on top of killing our babies, crimes in our streets, high gas prices and you could add much more!

I guess we are suppose to have some struggles in life. God has created a world of struggles. ,He created burning deserts, rough waters, and unclimbable mountains. Even when man finds a hospitable climate with fertile soil, he always struggles with weather such as droughts, cold and snow. Add to these natural struggles man’s own strife between nations, neighbors, races and political parties we find again, we are made for struggles.

Isn’t it odd that one of the main goals seems to be to eliminate struggle? Look at American’s long list of inventions and gadgets to replace work and effort. It seems that in our struggle to eliminate struggle, we often make life easier but less noble, thus making our characters weaker. I’ll tell you what I mean by that.

We, as parents, must recognize the good in struggle, for our children too. We have departed to much from the ‘chores’ youngsters grew up with in olden days. We rob our children of spirit, courage and wisdom when we provide too much protection. No wonder so many of them try to find their struggles through crime and dangerous pastimes. I read somewhere a quote by Edgar J. Hoover that goes something like this: “It isn’t the urge to do something bad that leads a young boy or girl into crime. It is the urge to do SOMETHING!”

Life is a battlefield, but let’s all of us, child or adult enter into our struggles courageously. Let us try to be better people today than we were yesterday. Our rewards will follow us.