Holiday memories from the small logging town of Darrington Washington where I was born and raised are as strong today as they were when I was a kid--especially Christmas and Easter. Christmas brought school and church programs, decorating, family get-togethers, and almost always, snow.
Easter brought traditional events, spring flowers, and several times, SNOW. I remember shivering in church clothes and shaking the white stuff off my shoes at the church door.
Every Easter started with a six o'clock Community Sunrise Service at the Ski Jump, unless rain or snow sent us hardy souls to the Community Center, built more than 60 years ago by willing hands and money donations.
Note: The Center still serves the town well. When the Oso Slide cut Darrington off from the rest of the world a few years ago, the Center became a feeding station manned by its citizens whose hearty, southern-style cooking filled the multitude.
The gymnasium had been set up for housing, but was never used. No way would the people of Darrington let folks sleep on cots on the basketball floor. They opened their homes and took care of not only their own, but officials and workers.
Population 600-700 when I was a kid, the town had seven different churches. Denominations took turns providing the Easter message and special music. Home for breakfast, then off to the church of our choice. The streets rang with music. My favorite hymns included "Christ the Lord is Risen Today," and "He Lives."
Sometimes there were pageants, always sermons reminding worshipers of the true meaning of Resurrection Sunday.
" A Different Easter (condensed from "Missing Easter" in Storybook House collection)
Mom usually made my clothes, but one spring I got a real store-boughten dress. Lavender with white plaid and a petticoat that rustled. I could hardly wait to wear it on Easter Sunday. At the Sunrise Service we sang songs. I really liked "Christ Arose." I wished I could have been there when the angel said, “He is not here. He is risen!”
At church, friends came up and said, “I love your new dress.” It made me feel special but I just said, "Thank you." It would be unkind to say how much I liked it. Only a few of the other other girls had new dresses.
.
All through church I thought about my Easter dress. I stroked it, careful not to let the attached petticoat rustle and disturb the people around me. We sang more Easter songs, but I barely heard them. Our pastor talked about Easter. Although I usually loved listening to him, I didn’t pay much attention. I was too busy being proud of my dress and how good I looked in it.
All through church I thought about my Easter dress. I stroked it, careful not to let the attached petticoat rustle and disturb the people around me. We sang more Easter songs, but I barely heard them. Our pastor talked about Easter. Although I usually loved listening to him, I didn’t pay much attention. I was too busy being proud of my dress and how good I looked in it.
After the service, people crowded
around our pastor. “Thank you for a wonderful sermon,” one said. “You brought
things so alive.”
“I felt like I was right there on that
first Easter,” another said.
Still another agreed. “Oh, yes! I
imagined I was with the disciples when Jesus came to them. I rejoiced with
them when I knew our Savior was truly alive!"
About that time, a funny feeling crept
through me. I hadn’t felt like I was
there. I hadn’t imagined rejoicing with the disciples. I had been so busy thinking about my new dress that I had missed Easter.
As soon as I got home I took off my
lavender dress and hung it at the back of my closet. I remembered that Jesus had warned people not to give a
lot of thought to what to wear. Since He even clothed the grass of the field,
how much more He would clothe us.
Filled with disappointment over what I
had missed, I bowed my head and closed my eyes. “Jesus, I am so sorry! Please
forgive me. I promise to never, ever
wear a brand new dress to church on Easter as long as I live.”
*
* *
Years have passed. I have many more
clothes now--even a lavender blouse patterned with white eyelet. I enjoy wearing it. But I have kept my promise. Never again
will I “miss Easter” because of being distracted by a new dress and proud of
how I look to others.
. . .man
looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart. 1 Samuel
16:7.
May God bless you all with love, peace, joy, and hope this Easter.
colleen
May God bless you all with love, peace, joy, and hope this Easter.
colleen
Storybook House: Timeless Tales for Fun-Loving Families
3 comments:
Oh, the perils of dress. I must admit, blind though I am, I did think myself cute in my suit and Easter bonnet. Even during worship, I was distracted by my own voice. Thank goodness I listened to the sermon and that my pastor talked about not getting distracted and to learn to be joyful. We are heaven bound. Being*
Lovely blog post, Colleen. Thank you for sharing your Easter memories.
Thanks, Kayla and Sandy. I love getting comments from viewers. Kayla, there's nothing wrong with wanting to look nice. Or even sometimes being distracted. Just so it doesn't become a big problem. Sounds like your pastor gave a great reminder sermon. I have a soap dispenser in my kitchen with two butterflies painted on it and the words: TODAY I CHOOSE JOY. A real day-brightener.
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