Zachariah was hopping like a bunny round his Grammy’s kitchen. Full of energy and excitement, he could hardly wait for Grammy to finish boiling the Easter eggs. Like Zachariah, the table had been ready and waiting to have fun for what seemed like hours. Newspaper protected the wooden top. Cups were spaced across last week’s comics. A teapot, ready to turn colorful tablets into magic dye, was whistling on a burner next to the cooking eggs, signaling it, too, was not patiently waiting for the Easter egg adventure to begin.
Finally, Grammy lifted the pot of eggs from the stove and set it down under the kitchen faucet. As cold water replaced the bubbling hot liquid in the pot, Grammy carefully lifted each egg out of its swimming pool, paper toweled it off and placed it in an egg crate holder. Kneeling on a chair, Zachariah watched each and every move his Grammy made.
As Grammy lifted one egg up from the water, she sorrowfully sighed and placed this egg not with the others but on an isolated, corner counter spot. Zachariah noticed what Grammy had done and nodded approval while stating, matter-of-factly, “That egg cannot be brightly colored”. Grammy was surprised young Zachariah already understood that dye penetrating through the cracks and into the egg was not healthy for humans to eat. Zachariah took for granted his Grammy comprehended why this egg was not to be colored like all the others. Truth be told, Grammy didn’t.
Time was not to be clocked, but enjoyed, as Grammy and Zachariah sank each egg into the deeply colored waters. Grammy, thinking she was the teacher, explained to Zachariah the “message” of each egg color. In retrospect, Grammy would discover it was she who needed to be the learner of Zachariah’s Easter “meaning”.
Shouts of glee rang out round the kitchen table as Grammy told her Easter tale. Bright green was the color of Hope. Easter delivered Hope to all mankind. Golden yellow was the color of spring’s warm Easter sun. Easter brought the warmth of God’s light, once more, shining upon His earthly children. Neon pink best symbolized the glowing color of God’s radiating Love. Easter was, and still is today, born out of the greatest Love of all.
Grammy’s lesson on Easter’s “message” was complete; or so she thought, as Zachariah placed the last brightly colored egg into the Easter basket. However, Zachariah was anything but finished. Springing off his table chair, he pushed it over to the counter, then perched upon its cushion. With his tiny arms, and half his body, sliding cross the counter, he stretched to reach inside the shadowed corner where Grammy had isolated that one imperfect egg. Gently, his petite fingers wrapped round its shell, as if it were a cherished treasure. Being very careful, Zachariah wiggled, tummy down, off the four legged chair. Then, oh so proudly, he cautiously, one slow step at a time, returned to the table. Grinning from ear to ear, and head to toe, Zachariah gently placed the undyed, shell broken egg on top of all the brightly colored others.
Grammy sensed, within Zachariahs’s endeavor, there had, not just, to be a “message”, but also, a “meaning”. And so, now adult teacher turned novice student, Grammy asked Zachariah to be the wisdom sharer.
“Oh, Grammy,” counseled Zachariah, “have you forgotten what Easter really means? Easter is decorated with the ‘message’ of brightly colored eggs, just like you said. But, that’s not Easter’s ‘meaning’. Easter really means the discoloring stain of our sins was, once and for all, removed. We are white as snow again!!! And, Grammy, all of us are broken. Sin has made us so. Broken or not, though, Easter brings us baskets full of forgiveness. The broken white egg, on top of all the decorated others, is us, Grammy – not perfect but broken people, yet washed clean in God’s forgiveness. Grammy, cause of Easter, we all, though still broken, once more are white as snow!!!”
To all the Mommies, Daddies, Grammys and Grampys this posting might reach, know the hope and prayer of this story rests in your hands and hearts. Please, take the time to purpose your Easter egg coloring into the “meaning” of Jesus Christ loving us broken people enough to turn us, each and every one, white as snow In fact, how about we take our cue from Zachariah and start a new tradition. That broken, uncolored egg we, up to now, have excluded from the exquisite setting of our brightly colored Easter eggs, let’s put it (and its “meaning”) in a place of honor atop our baskets full of perfectly decorated eggs.
“At the time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them and said, ‘Truly, I say to you unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven’.” Matthew 18: 1-3 (ESV)
Uplifted in a Broken Down World 