I remember as a little girl the excitement of Easter. The candy, stuffed rabbits, new shoes, and dresses. We very seldom got new cloths or shoes, but we knew that every Easter we would get both. As a child I did not think much about it, it just was. As an adult I continued the tradition, I would get so stressed out about a month before Easter about having to go to the mall to find the perfect outfits for each member of the family.
Then something changed….
We started going to Revolution Church about 2 years ago. They are a come as you are kind of church. So last Easter was our first Easter with them. It felt strange not to go shopping for the perfect dress and matching shoes and bag. I almost did, but decided not too. I went to church in an outfit I would wear on any given Sunday. And guess what Easter was still Easter, with or without a new dress and shoes.
This year I did not even give Easter shopping a thought. It is just not part of my thinking anymore. I had no desire for a new outfit and shoes. I just wanted to be at church to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord and Savior. I did not even buy the expensive frilly dress for Madilyn even though she would have looked so cute among the ruffles. Easter is not about how you look or what you wear. It is about Jesus, taking on the sins of the world and dying for us so that we could be saved.
This weekend a lady from my college years came to mind. I used to help clean her house with a group of girls. I offered to take her to church since she could no longer drive. Her response to me was, “I would love to go but I don’t have anything decent to wear.” She was right the church we went to frowned upon not being in “Sunday Best.” Getting ready for church was a chore, I felt I had to look perfect, no wrinkles in the dress, or scuffs on the shoes. Now when people tell me that I just laugh and say “what you have on is fine.”
I wonder how many people never go to church because they fill like they don’t have a thing to wear. It is a shame that people are dying and going to hell because they feel that due to their appearance they can not go to church. It is refreshing to see that some churches are waking up and seeing that it is not what is on the outside, its whats inside that matters. God loves us all, no matter what we are wearing.
This Easter despite the family being ill with allergies, was one of our best Easters yet. We put aside the man made traditions and focused on the true meaning of the day. I am not saying that there is anything wrong with Easter outfits, baskets and egg hunts I’m just saying that sometimes we need to step back and really focus on whats really important in our lives and the lives of others. I would hate to go to a church where people felt unwelcome because they could not “fit in” because of their attire.