Easter

What is Easter to you?

This year, Easter come rather unexpectedly, especially compared to the past two years.  When I was a missionary, I studied and thought and taught about Christ and his Atonement every day.  Easter was a moment when the rest of the country began discussing the same message we had been sharing so long.  These were special days, days that helped me to recognize Easter and the Resurrection of Christ in deeper way.  If you would like to read those thoughts when I had them, check out the posts Happy Easter April 2011 and Easter April 2012

However, as deep as my understanding of Easter became on my mission, the past few weeks have made Easter personal.  I have known for a long time that Jesus was crucified for us.  He suffered the pain of all sins, trials, heartaches, illnesses... everything.  He died for us and, on Easter Sunday, he overcame death, never to suffer it again.  Because of his sacrifice, we can find help and comfort as we suffer here on earth.  We can be forgiven of sins.  We too can be resurrected, overcoming death and receiving perfected and glorified bodies. This I've always know.

Just over a week ago, my youngest brother had another surgery.  He was born with a clubbed foot, for which he has had many surgeries and has been able to overcome his handicap and do great things.  But his foot began to hurt him again.  This time, there seemed to be no surgery to resolve the pain.  So my youngest brother, braver than I think I could ever have been at that age, made the choice to have his foot amputated.  This was the purpose of his most recent surgery.

Being away at school, spending most days waiting for a phone call, waiting for updates, having little knowledge of what was going on, made this a surprisingly difficult experience.  For these trails, Christ suffered.  Over two-thousand years ago, Christ experienced my fear that something might go wrong and I wouldn't be there to help.  He felt my mother's anxiety as doctors disagreed on the best methods and procedures.  He suffered my brother's pain for this past year as well as the pain he feels now as a result of the surgery.  And in addition to all this, Christ lives, and because he lives, we shall too. My brother shall rise again after this life with glorified and perfected body.  His small, scarred foot shall not be restored to him.  He will be whole, no more pain, no more scars, only two perfect feet.

I have always known and long understood the meaning of Easter.  Now I feel it.