In the final weeks of winter in Minnesota, I crave the sight of something green growing. A few years ago, I decided to round up grass seed and plant it indoors. It was really refreshing to water the sprouting seeds and let my kids “mow” the grass with scissors.
I decided to try it again the next year but realized I needed to start earlier in order to enjoy it even more. I had to buy the seed and soil the summer before since it’s not available in February (I mean, why would stores carry grass seed? Who plants it in a Minnesota winter?!) and as I was planning the planter to use, I realized that if I timed it correctly, the grass would be grown by Easter.
With this advanced planning, I was able to create something more meaningful, a resurrection garden. It became a great discussion for kids and adults alike of the tomb…a rock rolled away…a new life in Jesus.
Just as my resurrection garden was more meaningful when I prepared, Lent is a time of reflection and preparation not just of candy bunnies, Easter lilies, and ham brunches but a time to reorient ourselves, just as Jesus set his path to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51). There are many different faith traditions associated with Lent and preparing for Easter--all are preparing us for what’s to come.
“Fasting and prayer during Lent align our mental axes with the meaning of the original experience of Holy Week,” writes Drew Larson in his blog post, "Don't Miss Out: How Lent Prepares Us for Easter." This allows its full force to get through to us: the gut-punch tragedy of Good Friday, the silence of Saturday, and the ecstasy of Easter. This preparation ensures that, when the eyes of our heart turn to the cross, they will be wide open.”
May this be a meaningful season for you of walking with Jesus to Calvary!
- What’s your tradition for preparing for Easter?
- How is your tradition the same or different from your friends or extended family? What’s something new or different you might incorporate this year?
- How can prepare spiritually for Easter?
Katharine Provost, BS, MA, prepares for Easter with her two daughters in Big Lake, Minnesota, and serves nursing students and faculty advisors as NCF’s Associate Director of Student Ministries.
Grow in your personal faith through these free NCF spiritually-strengthening events:
Every Sunday, 6 pm Central.
March 21, 2023, 7 - 8:30 pm CST
April 27, 2023, 7 - 8:30 pm CST
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