Yes we do have so much to thank God for at this Easter time and yes we can continue to give thanks for our food on a daily basis but there is more to the grace of Easter. Grace can mean undeserved favour and of course we humans have been given this by God.

I have been amazed reading the accounts of the Easter story in the Bible how poised and so in control was Jesus at all times it seems. When accused with all manner of things, while being slapped and spat at, he remained silent. On the cross itself, he was thinking of other people, e.g. his mother who he put into the care of his best friend, John; and even offering forgiveness to a criminal hanging on a similar cross beside his.

I find when I’m accused of something, I want to defend myself and I certainly want to tell someone about how unjustly I have been treated, yet the grace of God that existed really when Jesus was born (or even before that when he was in the womb of a simple young girl, Mary who God saw willing to be a huge part of his human plan) is so huge and life changing.

We so often want to judge others and make them seem less than us yet Jesus gave us the example of always stepping lower and in humility serving and giving and walking away sometimes to avoid negativity.

To think that God spared his only Son for over 33 years – what a huge risk and yet what a wonderful gift to all mankind.

I was singing ‘Ride on, ride on in Majesty’ last Palm Sunday and realised that the Father on His sapphire throne was looking out for Jesus to return to him during this time that we call ‘Holy Week’ – that week before his Son was crucified.. He had been separated from him for such a long time (in human terms) and was looking forward to Him coming back to him where He is now.

Our children can enter into the grace at Easter by us getting alongside any child we know and telling them what Easter is all about. Don’t let the Easter eggs be a distraction, even though they have the hidden meaning of having new life that symbolises the new life to be found when we trust Jesus. Let these little ones know that God loves them and has a wonderful plan for their lives that they can find and live in and experience the grace of God for a lifetime.