From Welcome to Our Table
My mother was the glue that held our family together. If anything fun happened, it was because she was responsible for it. She was employed full-time, and yet she tried to make the holidays as special as she could for my brother and me. As for my dad, he was an absentee father who was rarely there for us.
One of my favorite days of the year was Easter, when winter was behind us and spring had arrived at last. The flowers were in bloom, and baby birds were chirping in their nests. I would peek in and watch them spreading their little wings and preparing for their first solo flights. I was also excited because the coming of Easter meant getting a new dress, gloves, and of course, a beautiful new hat. I would feel so pretty walking into church on that morning and thinking that every eye was on me. The lyrics of a song said it best: “I enjoy being a girl.”
As you can discern from this description, at home I was not taught the real meaning of Easter. Then one day my mother encouraged us to attend a little evangelical church in our neighborhood, and it was there that I was taught who Jesus was. I learned that He died on a cruel cross for my sins, that He rose on the third day, and if I would put my trust in Him, I would have eternal life in heaven. Afterward I had an entirely different understanding of Easter. In fact, in my church it was appropriately called “Resurrection Day.”
When I had my own children, I didn’t want them to confuse the fun of this holiday with the celebration of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Therefore, I came up with the idea of “Easter Saturday.” We dyed eggs on Friday night, and Jim hid them around the yard. We placed little stuffed bunnies in strategic places and gave the children baskets containing colorful candies. Then the children searched for the “treasure egg,” which was bigger and silver in color. It was always harder to find. Inside it was a small amount of money, candy, or a toy. The finder of the treasure egg would always jump for joy.
The next morning our family went to church to learn about Jesus’ resurrection and to sing together the old hymn.
Low in the Grave He Lay
Low in the grave He lay, Jesus my Savior,
Waiting the coming day, Jesus my Lord!
Up from the grave He arose,
With a mighty triumph o’er His foes,
He arose a victor from the dark domain,
And He lives forever, with His saints to reign.
He arose! He arose!
Halleluiah! Christ arose!
After the service we would invite family and friends to our table for a relaxed, traditional dinner of ham, twice-baked potatoes, warm rolls, vegetables, and molded salad. We topped it all off with strawberry cake and ice cream. What a treat!
My children are grown now, but I have wonderful warm memories of Easters past with my family. And on this special day they can be found in church, celebrating the death and resurrection of our Savior.
He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!
From Shirley and Danae Dobson's book, Welcome to Our Table
This letter may be reproduced without change and in its entirety for non-commercial and non-political purposes without prior permission from the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. Copyright, 2025 JDFI. All Rights Reserved. International Copyright Secured. Printed in the U.S.