Sunday, April 4, 2010

Rabbit Trails...

Funny. Before I even begin this post, I side tracked. As I wrote the title.. I had to chuckle. You see, tonight is the eve of Ressurection Day... more commonly known as Easter. Get it??.. Easter.. rabbit trails.. hardy har har.

ANYWAYS... I was caught up in the quiet of the kitchen. The boys were all sleeping, my girl was in the other room.. I finally had the peace I'd been longing for all day. I was peeling eggs for the deviled eggs and making corn muffins; just thinking about tomorrow morning. I was envisioning the boy's faces when they see their Easter baskets. Picturing them, along with my neices, and the Easter egg hunt we'll have tomorrow in the backyard >>sigh<<. Just enjoying the solitude.

Mentally, I was going over the menu for tomorrow and craving the scent of what's to come. But as I was pulling out the muffin pan, I came across the service ware that I ALWAYS use for special occasions. I received it as a wedding gift; a beautiful silver plated platter and serving spoon with a glass baking dish. Every year at Thanksgiving, usually, I use it to bake my Praline Sweet Potatoes in. I scarcely remember using it for anything else. It's a side dish I made up that is in the makings to be a tradition. We don't have many of those anymore. I sorta left those behind when I moved away; alone now to make different traditions for my little family. One of them being my Praline Sweet Potatoes, served in this particular dish.

After each use, I have to wash and carefully wrap the silver pieces so that they don't tarnish. They have a brilliant mirrored reflection where they are covered, but in the few spots that are exposed, it is darkened. But I love this piece. It's so special to me.

So as I dutifully peeled the eggs, my mind wandered back to the meal for tomorrow. Drinks: check. Napkins: check. Paper Plates: check. (yes, I said paper plates.) For some reason, this seems weird to me to have paper plates. I really don't know why. I wasn't raised using China or crystal, and in all reality, paper plates are much more practical. No fuss, no muss. I was even taking inventory of how many aluminum trays I have to make the side dishes in. Heat, eat and toss. I was thinking about how much easier it's gonna be on me to use good 'ol Chinette. Then I crossed over to the silver dish.

Honestly, I didn't wanna have to unwrap the platter and unwrap the spoon... wipe it out before I use it..hand wash each piece when we're done and re-wrap it in the tissue paper that is now all wrinkled and tattered. Then it hit me. Well, more like tapped me on the shoulder.

"Then Mary took a pound of very costly oil of spikenard, anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the oil..." John 12:3

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the day my Savior conquered death. But somehow it turned into just hosting my family for Easter Dinner. Don't get me wrong, we are going to church in the morning and we will say a prayer of thanksgining before we eat. Even though I LOVE to have people over, amidst the hustle and bustle of preparations, it became a chore for me. It turned into corner cutting and second best. Oh how humbling it is to realize this.

"But Jesus said, 'Let her alone; she has kept this for the day of My burial. For the poor you have with you always, but Me
you do not have always'..." John 12:7-8

Tomorrow is a day to celebrate. I earnestly desire to celebrate the One who gave His life for me. I will remind my children of the story of Jesus' death on a cross. I will believe in Him to fill my home with His presence. I will honor Him by what I do for my family in remembrance of Him. I will worship Him by serving my sweet potatoes in my silver dish.


1 comment:

beth said...

Amen. That was beautifully written, Christine.

Don't you just love those moments when you are doing your everyday, mundane tasks and God reveals Himself to you?

I hope you have a wonderful Easter.