“We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”  1 John 3:16
I find it comical that after the “picture fiasco” my family had yesterday, that 1 John 3:16 appears as the Verse-of-the-day today.  God has a sense of humor and keeps things in perspective.
You see, this Easter weekend, the greatest holiday to be celebrated as a Christian, my family was all over the board.  For the most part, the boys were off hunting in Georgia, and we girls were playing here at home. So acquiring that “blissful family Easter Sunday picture” was going to be interesting timing.
As I glanced through social media, I was enjoying all the Easter pictures of friends and family who had gathered together to capture that one joyous moment of a “blissful family” photograph.  Everyone had on their brightly colored Easter attire and had picture perfect smiles on their faces. It was precious seeing all those pictures.
When I woke up that Sunday morning I hummed that song that I could still hear my late-mother-in-law singing to her grown sons, “Here comes Peter Cotton Tail…” as she would hop up the stairs to awaken her boys before church and deliver their baskets of goodies.  I still did Easter baskets for my kids (ages 13, 16, and 19), but for me…well, one child snuck out the door to attend early church with his girlfriend before I could deliver his Easter basket, one son was five hours away in Georgia, and my daughter…it was still too early for Princess Holly to arise.  So singing, while hopping up the stairs, to deliver their baskets, was not going to occur as I had envisioned when I first woke up that morning.
No worries, we’ll get together late in the day for basket picture time. Right? Ha!
We had our “perspective” right.  Three-out-of-five of us attended a wonderful worship service at church where Pastor Brian preached God’s word with great conviction, clarity, and application.  During the Sunday school hour, Brother Ricky did a fabulous job continuing the sharing of God’s word and making it real for our teenagers and us teachers. After church we gathered around my mom’s table for an Easter feast with family and friends.
When Tim and Cole finally arrived back home from Georgia, Hunter was not around for us to capture a family photo.  I sent a text to Hunter and asked him to stop by before his next destination of Easter activities so I could get a picture.  When he arrived, Tim had left again on an errand.  So I decided to take a picture of just the kids.
Ha!  “Smart comments” were exchanged between a couple of the children, and then we were “supposed” to take a photo.
I found the timing interesting how I had just read an article about how pictures posted on Facebook are “not the real story”.  The author had mentioned how yes, in this photo we look happy, but here’s what really was going on in our lives….
This was true for my picture moment.  As the kids were “at each other’s throat”, my son’s precious girlfriend told them, “Okay, get together for a picture and smile.”  My mind raced to the article that I had just read, and I stubbornly said, “No.  Forget it! I’m not taking the picture.”  I didn’t want to portray a lie.
I went inside, put on my tennis shoes, and went for a walk.  I had to clear my head and get my focus on Jesus.
Here’s some facts:
All is fine.  Life is good.  Life goes on.
Family spats will occur.  Pictures don’t tell the whole story.  Life isn’t perfect.
God is amazing.  He has a sense of humor.  Jesus did rise.  He is Lord of lords and King of kings.  Easter is a joyous time of celebration.
 I pray many blessings and much joy for you! Have a wonderful day. – Stephanie