Easter

harbarger theory: empty can be good!

This is one of my favorite Easter stories. In fact, I told it as the Children's Moments yesterday. Sorry, I didn't blog yesterday. With 3 service after a busy loooong weekend and fixing dinner for my parents (it turned out WONDERFULLY!), I was pooped.

So, here's my Easter post.

Mrs Adair, who was a Sunday School teacher, wanted to teach her kids about the meaning of Easter, so she gave each of the kids an empty plastic egg (a big one like the ones that L'Eggs pantyhose used to come in, remember?). She asked them to go outside and fill them with something ... anything that told the Easter story.

So, the kids stormed out of the building picking up various flotsam and jestam around the church yard. Mrs. Adair called the kids back into the Sunday School classroom and asked them to open their egg and share what they had found.

Millie opened her L'Egg and inside was a dandelion. Millie talked about how the flowers die every winter and rise again every spring. Mrs. Adair complimented her on how well she understood Easter.

Freddy opened his L'Egg and inside were some blades of grace. Freddy talked about how the grass goes brown and then, miraculously in the spring turns green again. Again, Mrs Adair showered Freddy with praise about how well he understood the Easter story.

Ling opened her L'Egg and insde was a rock. Ling shared about how the stone was rolled away from Jesus' tomb on Easter morning. Mrs. Adair was beaming over how well her class was understanding the Easter story.

And so it went around the room until they got the last kid. Craig had multiple learning deficits. He was in special classes at school and would never develop intelligence that would get past a 5 year old. He was a sweet kid, who loved everyone and everyone loved him back. But, he could be a distraction in a classroom of "normal" kids.

Finally Craig opened his L'Egg and inside was ... nothing. Nothing at all. Mrs. Adair was so concerned that Craig didn't understand his assignment, or that she should have gone with Craig to help him, or kept him with her so he wouldn't be embarassed, or ...

But, because Mrs. Adair trusted God and had an inordinate courage, she pressed ahead. "Craig," she said, "tell me about your Easter Egg."

Craig did. In his halting and child-like way, he shared. "My egg is empty," he started, "because it's Easter and Jesus' tomb was empty!" And he beamed the most beautiful smile you could imagine.

And Mrs. Adair cried grateful and joy-filled tears and hugged Craig with a fiercely loving hug.

harbarger theory: empty can be good!