Jesus versus the Easter Bunny

I remember my first experience of church.

I was about 7 years old and the neighbor kid invited me. So I went.

We got on the bus to be transported to the church and my friend was so excited that me and two other girls were coming with her.

She hit the bounty.

The kid who brought the most guests would dig their hand into a money jar and get to keep the money they pulled out.

My friend had the most number of guests. So she won.

Even at 7 years old I knew there was something wrong with this situation.

I felt used.

I felt like the only reason she went to church was so she could win money (and, at age 7, that may have been her only reason).

We got to the church and they were speaking a weird language I had never heard before.

Needless to say, I never went back to that church.

And that was my experience with church as a child.

It wasn't until I was 22 years old that I attended the next church.

A co-worker, Jane, invited me to her church. I hesitated because I had such a bad experience as a child and thought church was for hypocrites.

She didn't pressure me to go, but she strongly urged me to experience it and make a decision based on my experience at her church.

As we entered the building, I had a tremendous amount of anxiety coursing through my body.

It felt weird to be in a church. My childhood memory was taking over my senses.

As the service started, they did a lot of singing. The songs were so boring and I just wanted to get out of there.

Is this what church is all about? While I LOVE music and singing, I didn't want anything to do with that. It was too boring.

After all the singing was done, we moved to the next "act" of the service.

The sermon.

As the preacher was talking, I was listening. I had an open mind, even though I was bored.

As the sermon continued, I listened even more intently.

He was speaking directly TO me. The message he was delivering was the exact message I needed to hear that day.

At the end of the service he said, "If anyone wants to come to the front of the room and receive Christ as their savior, come on up."

I sat in the pew watching the procession of people moving to the front of the room.

Something was pulling at me. It was a strong pull, but I resisted.

I sat in my seat and watched.

What was this all about?

Why were they going up there?

Then it hit me, my resistance was due to my fear of judgment. People would judge me if I went to the front of the room. They would stare at my just like I was staring at those who went up there.

But the urge was getting stronger and stronger.

Something inside of me snapped.

I hopped out of my seat and went to the front of the room.

I was experiencing the experience rather than hearing what the preacher was saying.

My body was being filled with a sense of knowing that I had never experienced before.

This knowing felt like the Truth and I allowed it to envelope me.

The preacher said something like, "If you accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, through Him you will have everlasting life."

At that very moment, I experienced the most beautiful experience in my life.

Something happened to me that had never happened before and hasn't happened since.

Jesus entered my heart. I accepted Him as my Savior and instantly felt a sudden wash of peace.

I had experienced nothing but turmoil my whole life.

This feeling of peace was new to me.

I haven't been the best example of what a Christian is. I don't read the Bible on a regular basis. I don't attend church. I don't proselytize. But I do Believe in Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

Will I go to heaven?

Will I have everlasting life?

That's something that only God knows.

While I was growing up I Believed in the Easter Bunny and thought Easter was about the baskets and candy and hunting for eggs.

As we unite together today to celebrate Easter all around the world, what is your Belief? I'd love to hear from you.

I found this article on how the Easter Bunny came to be and found it interesting how one tradition can take over another with the flick of the pen: https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna36149164

Happy Easter,

Lynda Sunshine West