easter weekend 2020.

During this spring of the coronavirus, we take our joy where we can find it. And it turns out, there’s much joy to be had, if we’ve got eyes to see.

We couldn’t spend Easter weekend celebrating Jesus’ resurrection with our church family in the usual way, but we did celebrate.

 

One way we looked for joy was by making a Thankful Wall. Thankfulness is contagious, just like complaining is. When we started noticing all God’s gifts to us it was hard to stop.

 

David had the chance to perform two wedding ceremonies for couples whose wedding plans were put on hold due to the quarantine, one Saturday morning and one on Sunday. None of us had ever spent an Easter weekend in quite this way, but we loved it. What better way than in being reminded that the Church is the Bride that Jesus laid down His life for?

 

Hint: pastors love quarantine-style weddings (at least this pastor does)! Afterward he told our kids, “I will pay each of you a lot of money to get married just like this.”

 

We scurried back downtown after the first wedding so that David could help set up for our church’s quarantine Easter picnic. We asked our landlord for ideas of ways to help the businesses on our block in this season, and he said, “Shop locally!”

So CPC emailed out a sign-up to the congregation for treats to-go, from a pound of coffee, to a six-pack of beer, to a BBQ plate. Our children’s directors and women’s assistant planned age-appropriate goodie bags for the kids of our church.

 

It was so so good to see dear faces again, even just for a couple minutes. And it was very difficult to follow the rules and all stay in our vehicles.

 

 

 

Thanks to all who risked their health to bless our block and our church family!

 

On Saturday evening, Mum Mum (who is not sitting regulation distance away from her grandkids), handed out chocolate squirrels as Easter gifts. How appropriate!

 

Then we all enjoyed our War Mouth BBQ plates in the yard.

 

On Easter morning, our next-door neighbor, Dana, surprised the kids with an egg hunt in our front yard, since she knew they wouldn’t get one with their friends at church.

 

 

 

Pip loved his first Easter.

 

Afterwards, we cuddled up in the living room to watch the church service on YouTube.  Sundays this spring have been more restful for our family than we’ve ever known. We miss our church very much, and will be thrilled when quarantine’s over, but we’re soaking up restful Sunday mornings with Daddy, and the very unique gift of sitting together as a family week after week to worship God.

 

After the service, we drove back out to the lake for the second wedding of Easter weekend. The guests — the bride and grooms’ parents, the photographers, and a close family friend — prayed for the rain to hold off until noon. And it did!

 

We have lots of talks about weddings and marriage in our house these days. I think that’s one of the beautiful things about being part of a church. The kids get to see couples fall in love, come to our back porch for premarital counseling, exchange vows, then live out those vows in community.

They don’t know all the stories behind the vows yet — that marriage is hard, and at times involves failure and heart-break. They will learn that over time. For now, I want them to see that whether they remain single or get married, God has given them His Church to help them and point them to Him. They aren’t meant to live this life alone. I hope they find joy and comfort in that provision when they’re adults, just as they do right now.

 

We enjoyed a leisurely Easter dinner with the newlyweds and their parents’, before heading back home for house naps on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Our family tradition is a scavenger hunt on Easter Sunday afternoon, which ends with gifts for the kids. Since Easter was rainy, David and I made an indoor egg hunt for them. I love how each year’s gifts tell us something about our kids’ interests at that stage. We didn’t get pictures, but here they are:

Judah – The Keeper of the Lost Cities series

Amie – The Vanderbeekers series, cloth headbands

Gabe – Two beyblades with a battle arena

Noah – A set of laser tag guns

 

It was a very special weekend. He is Risen!

 

(family photo by Collin Morvay)