The Easter Tree / I know the end of the story

I think my enjoyment of decorating for each season comes from my mother’s joy in celebrating holidays.  Each holiday when I was growing up, was very special to mom and was a reason for joy and celebration in my childhood home. I am blessed with so many good memories of my mother and how she made holidays special in our home. I remember many specific decorations we had for Easter, I remember making baskets from dough, coloring eggs (and hiding them!), new outfits for church and I also remember a bunny cake that we made every year!

When our girls were little, I wanted to continue the tradition of decorating and celebrating the holidays, and especially, the Holy Days.  In 2009, my sister-in-love shared a blog with me by the name of A Holy Experience written by Ann Voskamp. Her blog is lovely and inspiring.  Ann shared how they made a Passion Tree for the days before Easter Sunday.  The activity included daily Scripture, prayer, activity and art. Our girls were young and we immediately set out and made our own tree to commemorate the Easter season. If you have time, this post from Ann, details the hows and whys of the tree much better than I could say: How To Make Your Own Easter Passion Tree

Our children are now grown. The oldest, Audra, has been married two years! The youngest, Victoria, is a junior, pre-law student.  So, I do the decorating by myself. We still celebrate together! But, I miss the help of little hands in the decorating. There was so much wonder and delight in daily living and celebrating.  I am so thankful for the fond memories I have of the children growing up and celebrating Easter. The Easter Tree became a tradition in our home and one I will continue.   But this year when I started hanging each individual days artwork on our tree, I was so tempted to put all of them on the tree at one time!  I kept thinking: I know the end of the story!

It pained me to look at the artwork of the days leading to the cross and to know what Jesus did for me. For you. For the world.  But the hope that lives within me, reminded me that we know the end of the story! Some days seem dark and even lonely; but guaranteed, the end is going to be good. We have the promise of Scripture, the living, breathing Word of God, the example of His Son, the goodness of Our Father and the Holy Spirit.  Praise YOU Lord!  We know the end of the sad days.

I just found the beginnings of this post in my drafts folder from 2009… Never published…so here is a snippet I started years ago of our Easter Tree:

His story told in pictures, hangs on the Easter Tree.
Last year we had many little hands help us decorate our tree leading up to Easter.
We would read a devotional corresponding to the picture, then hang the pictures.
The final picture was on our Easter table with cloths neatly folded representing the cloths the Lord folded.

Blessed Easter, my friends.