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Kylie Garcia
For some people, holidays are like a green light. Particularly for the people who keep the traditions going, the holidays are very busy times and the only thing that comes to mind is “go, go, go!” For others, myself included lately, holidays are more like a speed bump. They seem to pop up out of the blue and are one of the few times a year that some of us actually slow down.
It makes me sad how the importance of holidays seem to fade away over the years, aside from the most popular ones. During elementary school, parties, goodies, special events or traditions were dedicated to days as small as St. Patrick’s Day. Holidays were something to look forward to. As life goes on, it seems that it doesn’t matter if it’s St. Patrick’s Day or another Wednesday — life doesn’t stop. I used to set everything aside for holidays just to continue a tiny tradition, I now work through them. I’m not complaining though; I understand this is a part of life.
In this new stage of life, I always try my best to work extra hard the days before the holidays arrive so that I can actually enjoy them. They have become speed bumps that make me slam the breaks on the busyness of life, slow down, and reflect for a moment. This is especially a priority for the Easter holiday, because I find it important to reflect on why I have the life I do and why I can even live at all.
I also spent this particular Easter/Resurrection Sunday reflecting on the people that I love who are no longer here on this Earth. I thought about my Grandma Nell and the way she helped me dye my eggs when I was little. I thought about my Grandpa Bill and the chair he would sit at every time he’d come over for holidays to eat and play dominos. And I thought about my dogs, Tasha and Bella, and all of their funny quirks that made them the best four-legged family members.
Then, of course, I thought about how because of what Jesus did more than 2,000 years ago, I would get to see them all again. Thinking about that sacrifice and what it means to me is almost too overwhelming for my human mind to even comprehend at times. It’s overwhelming to think that someone would suffer such a painful, agonizing death to save little ol’ me. Every single beating, every scar, every thorn — it is all an overwhelming reminder of Jesus’s love for us.
It’s also a reminder of the fact that death no longer has the final say. That Jesus defeated death because He didn’t want Heaven without us. That we no longer have to fight for a victory, but from the ultimate victory. These are beautiful, powerful reminders that truly put life into perspective. No matter what happens in life, I know I’m going to be okay when I remember all that Jesus did for me and continues to do. The gratitude these reflections and reminders elicit drowns out any stress and anxiety. When I shift my focus to the King of Kings, the noise of my problems, stresses, worries, and struggles seem to quiet down. This a beautiful and free gift that I pray everyone gets to receive and experience.
I’ll close out my Easter/Resurrection Sunday reflections with the lyrics from a song I love called Graves into Gardens by Elevation Worship:
“You turn mourning to dancing
You give beauty for ashes You turn shame into glory
You're the only one who can
You turn graves into gardens
You turn bones into armies
You turn seas into highways
You're the only one who can”
God Bless, Cibola!