It seems like every family has the "sick kid." In our home growing up, I was the strong child with the impenetrable immune system (sorry Leigh, but it's true. You were cute but puny). In our current household, I think little Anna got the short end of the stick. In 2 1/2 years Holly has never had an ear infection, never been on antibiotics. At 5 months, Anna has just gone through her first round of Amoxicillin for an ear infection. Not only that, after 9 days of the medicine, today she broke out in hives. Great - she'
s allergic to penicillin. And to top it all off, I just learned today that she also has thrush. What? I'm getting a crash course in baby sicknesses all in one day.
So, right now Matt and Holly are at the drugstore filling her new Rx (this is new to us too). And I've been trying to get my overtired, rash-covered, itchy and irritable baby to sleep for the last hour.
But there is a silver lining... I got to hear these sweet words come from the doctor's mouth: "Give her some Benadryl to help with the itching."
Ahh, sleep is coming.
We're entering Easter weekend, and I'm getting the chance to see it all through the eyes of an impressionable 2 and a half year old. Holly's dyed her eggs, and we've even had a few "practice runs" of hiding and finding them. I think she's been eating egg chocolates for the past 2 months (which means so have I). She's received gifts and Easter stickers and cards from loved ones. She doesn't know that tomorrow we'll be going to a huge Easter egg hunt, complete with inflatable bouncy houses and games and everything her little heart could desire.
In the midst of this, I wonder how to begin to teach Holly about the reason we celebrate. How do we connect bunnies, eggs, and candy to the resurrection of Christ? How do we explain that the Jesus she's learning about - the Jesus who wants to be her friend forever - died for her temper tantrums, her disobedience, her defiance? She doesn't even comprehend death yet, much less sin.
So we're starting by explaining that Easter is the day Jesus rose from the grave. At the tender age of two, I don't know if her brain (or more accurately, her active imagination which leads to night terrors and nightmares) can handle much more. Most importantly I want her to begin to associate Easter with Jesus. The rest will come.
So I've been pondering that this Easter season. I've also been challenged to think about the cross and those final hours of Jesus. Our pastor, Andy Stanley, gave a powerful talk last Sunday that I encourage you to check out. Go to the Buckhead Church messages site and click on black image - it's called "The Final Hours." You can listen to the audio or watch the video.
I've also been blessed by the fresh perspectives of some great writers on the new life and new hope we have, and the reminder to reflect on the Passover Lamb and his love for us. Thank you for helping me keep my eyes on Jesus as I hide eggs and stuff Easter baskets.
