From the Backseat # 3 "Happy Sunday"

I found out it was hard to explain “Good Friday” to a 4 and 6 year old. To quote Brighton, “Things are just complicated on this big ball.” (I have no idea where he heard that, but he knows when to say it.) We have talked about Easter on and off for the last month- seeing the gobs of stuff in the stores, hearing about it in church, reading about it at home. One particular conversation in the car last week came about because of our morning devotional which happened to be about Good Friday. The “good” just wasn’t connecting with Julia’s understanding of the word. I explained how on the particular Friday Jesus was crucified, it was the darkest of all dark for those who had followed Him and believed Him to be the Messiah and so it was given a special name, “Good Friday”. I told her of the somber mood many people take on that day and the solemn services churches conduct, including our own, but what Christ did for us was “good” in every way. Innocently, she looked in my rear view mirror, cocked her head, wrinkled her nose and said, “It sure wasn’t ‘good’ for Jesus.” Honest 6 year old observation. She went on, “If we HAVE to have a Good Friday, then we MUST have a Happy Sunday!” And so, a “Happy Sunday” we will have. We hope you will too. Happy Easter. Happy Sunday.

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you BELIEVE this?" John 11:25-26 Yes, sir, I do.

Above picture: A happy Julia- Easter 2004