Since it won't be too much longer until Easter arrives, I recall watching some kids last year when the church held an Easter Egg Hunt for them. As I watched a child searching to find one single perfect egg, I began to see Easter egg hunting in a new perspective.  It is like us seeking Christ Jesus.  Please, allow me to explain this:

            Even though we, Christians, already have Jesus in our hearts, we must go further in our quest to learn His teachings.  The Easter Egg Hunt is like a sinner seeking Christ for the very first time, and maybe that's why the tradition of Easter egg hunting was started.  In my own opinion, children can learn two important lessons from this holiday tradition.

1)  Hunting eggs teaches a child that he/she must search for some things in this world, and although an object or a solution is difficult to find sometimes, it can usually be found if he/she continues to search for it.  This is exactly how a sinner searches for a better way of life just like I did.

This leads to the second lesson concerning continuing our search for what we want in life.

2)  Just like an Easter Egg Hunt isn't over when one egg is found, God doesn't want us to stop seeking the direction that He wants us to take in our lives.  Finding Christ and accepting Him in our hearts is only the first step in our spiritual journey.  This teaches children to never give up hope of finding what they're looking for.

So if we seek Jesus and his teachings in the word of God, we are rewarded far beyond our expectations with a very peaceful feeling deep inside ourselves when we find Him and invite Him into our hearts.

As I watched those small children that Easter Sunday at church, I saw a little girl around the age of 2 or 3 find a colorful Easter egg, and she had no interest in finding another one because she was so overjoyed with finding that one special egg.  This reminded me of how I felt when I found Jesus Christ because He is the ONLY One that can render the true happiness that no other can fulfill!

This also leads to the most important aspect of what Easter really is about: the Resurrection of Christ Jesus!

When that little girl found that one single egg, decorated with stripes of different colors, she began dancing and shouting with so much excitement and happiness, and she was also so very proud of that beautiful egg.  When her mother began to peel the shell off for her to eat, she began to cry and scream loudly because something took away the beauty of her precious little egg.

I can only imagine how Jesus's mother, Mary, must have felt as she watched her precious Son die on the Cross.  He was being taken away from her so that sinners, like the ones crucifying Him, could be forgiven. 

As I watched how the little girl was so disappointed that her mother had destroyed the egg, I walked over and suggested that her mom allow her to find another.  Without hesitation, the little girl cried and spoke for herself, "I don't want another one; I want that one, but it's all broken now!"

As I reflect back on this memory, I can see how the girl's mother could have used that experience to illustrate to the child that the disciples and Mother Mary was deeply saddened (like she was seeing the shell being removed from her egg) as they saw Jesus die.  She could have explained the egg was in a different form just like Christ was (and still is) when He arose from the tomb and that the egg would nourish her body in its new form like Jesus nourishes her soul.  That's why Easter is a joyous occasion because it symbolizes a new beginning. 

I believe my revelation after I watched this incident unfold taught me children's games can have a much deeper meaning if we see them from a different perceptive.  Hopefully, this story will help you to see the true celebration of Easter, especially as you watched children searching for Easter eggs.  Have a blessed Easter!

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