I am forever grateful to have a home large enough for all the family to come and stay, and this year the whole family has been here and we have enjoyed a variety of activities......things that are typical to our family.
On Good Friday morning I attended a church service at my church here in Mangawhai. A reflective and moving time of remembrance and communion. I actually struggled to cope with my emotions. When you stop and focus solely on The Cross for an hour, it puts life and death into perspective. The wonder of the love of God.....so powerful, so total, so humbling, so free. The simple act of communion.......so precious.
I have found since becoming a widow that communion, Easter and The Cross have all become so much more emotional for me. As though my feelings are just under the surface and they bubble up without me really being able to always control it. I guess it's a 'rawness' that wasn't there before. This is a good thing I think......but it does leave me feeling rather wrung out at times!
Bit of a change of pace on Friday afternoon when we went to watch my son Heath's club rugby game. It was a beautiful warm afternoon.......so pleasant....sitting watching......enjoying the picturesque rural surrounds of where we live. It was especially poignant for me watching my grandson Owen running around with his little rugby ball and taking it all in. And I kept thinking how Tony would be rapt to see his son still enjoying rugby (after all the years he coached his team when he was a little guy) and now to see his grandson running around with a ball in hand!
Another family activity we have done for years is boating and fishing. On Saturday 3 members of the family took the boat out determined to bring home fish for dinner!! They succeeded and we enjoyed it!
We also took advantage of the lingering late summer days.....Owen especially had fun in the still warmish waters.
But I guess the highlight for me this Easter has been Sunday morning when as a family we were part of the service at the Elim Church in Whangarei. My eldest daughter Vanessa had been asked to sing, and she asked the rest of us to help out. It's been a long time since we did anything like this together....but what fun. Vanessa singing, Natasha doing backing vocals, Heath on drums, me on keyboard and son in law Jonty on the sound desk.....we engaged the help of bass and lead guitarists and away we went! The only sad thing was daughter in law Courtney couldn't be with us as she was working.
It brought such joy to my heart to do something like this with my kids. But more than just 'doing an item' was to see my kids in church, serving, worshipping, committed to their God....the God of their father and grandfathers. They have such a rich heritage! I have to believe Tony was looking down with a big smile on his face! In fact, there a lot of things that would have made him smile this weekend. The church services, rugby, fishing, chocolate, good food, Sunday lunch with friends...... and the family just being together. And because I know all these things would make him smile it makes me smile too.......and makes me feel he is still close.
So now it's Monday and the thought that tomorrow life will go back to normal....but what lovely memories we have to take with us into the week.
I trust for you too that this Easter has been meaningful, relaxing and enjoyable. This is a little of what I wrote in my journal this morning.......
'Easter - what an amazing story of the God who loves beyond what we can ever imagine....who gave beyond what we will ever deserve.....and who brings hope beyond what we can only begin to conceive.
Thank you Jesus for the cross'.
Till next time.................
