To the Easter Bunny, From a Mommy

Dear Easter Bunny,

You're cute.  There's no denying that.

You're also everywhere, and I'm not sure I'm okay with that.  You've all but completely cute-nitized Jesus right out of Easter.

The fact is, your Easter holiday has nothing to do with the one that I intend to celebrate on Sunday.  Originally, you and your colorful eggs were created by pagans who wanted to celebrate Spring and fertility.  Two things that are truly worthy of celebration, I might add.  :)  BUT, there's no getting around the fact that you have nothing to do with Jesus Christ and His resurrection.  No pun intended, but you're one gigantic rabbit trail.  And though I am carefully teaching my children at home about what we're going to be celebrating on Easter Sunday; they are continually being bombarded with the commercialization that has completely overtaken Easter in your name.  There's another candy-filled Easter Egg Hunt advertised on every corner; an Easter bunny photo op in every store; Easter baskets, plastic eggs and candies on the store shelves; ready-made Easter baskets for the overly-busy parent; and rolls of adorable Easter-themed wrapping paper for all the gifts people are being pressured to buy to celebrate this beginning-to-sound-a-lot-like-Christmas holiday!  Kids are even writing letters of things they wish for to the EASTER BUNNY!!!

REALLY?!?!

Now, I'm no Easter Grinch.  I've told my kids about the Easter bunny.  I have a couple Easter-bunny stories that I read to them.  I have even let them participate in an Easter Egg Hunt or two.  *gasp*  (And it's been fun, too!)

But, I just want to say, enough is enough.  Stop with the commercialization.  Stop with the distractions. Stop with the hypocrisy.

Did you show the greatest love of all by laying down your life for this sinful and dying world?
Did you give unspeakable mercy to said sinful and dying world by forgiving their sins and withholding the (very much deserved) punishment?
Did you show infinite power by conquering death and rising from the grave?
Did you give boundless grace freely to all who would receive it?

There is only One Who has done those things.  And He completed them on Easter Sunday.

Because of the great love God showed to such an undeserving world, I have Hope that someday I will be freed from this broken world and enjoy a complete relationship with God.  Because of the mercy God bestowed, I do not have to worry about justifying myself before a holy God.  Because of the death-defying power of God, I have escaped an eternal death.  And because of God's grace, I have been saved.

As a Mommy, the REAL Easter profoundly affects my interactions with my children.  A week or two from now, when your fuzzy-wuzzy cuteness, chocolate eggs, and over-priced trinkets have become a fading memory, I'll still be rising every morning to spend another day modeling God's Easter gifts to my children.  Loving them with an unconditional love.  Teaching them of God's holiness and blessing them with His mercy. Rejoicing in His death-defying power, particularly when I am weak from the fight against my own sinful nature (because none of these things come naturally to me). And most of all, giving grace to my kids with the same tenderness with which God has given it to me.

So, here's the ground rules for Easter Sunday:  IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!

That's all.

Sincerely,
a Mommy

PS.  If you are real, could you please deposit mostly dark chocolate eggs in my Easter basket?  And no tootsie rolls.  Thanks!