Ahhh…the annual “Medlock Easter Egg Eggstravaganza.” It was truly a thing of wonder…one of our family’s best and most treasured traditions.
My Mom (otherwise known as Mamaw) took great pride in being the best grandmother in the world, which meant planning elaborate family events such as our family’s Easter egg hunt.
She shopped for weeks, finding every grandchild’s favorite candy plus several special trinkets and toys that she could stuff into each of the pastel-colored plastic eggs.
My Dad (better known as Papaw) liked to get into the Easter Egg Eggstravaganza, too, so he stuffed money into several of the plastic eggs that Mom set aside for him. In some, he put $10 bills. Others were stuffed with $5 bills. Most contained $1 bills, and a few had quarters in them.
Mamaw and Papaw carefully hid the stuffed eggs throughout their yard–under the sundeck, in flowerpots, even in the mailbox. They knew exactly how many eggs were hidden, and they had a system in place so that every grandchild received the same amount of candy, toys and money.
They labeled each egg with a name, so if Ally found Abby’s egg she would have to put it back and go search for her own.
The grandkids were allowed to help one another find their designated eggs but they could not take each other’s eggs. What a glorious plan! It made for a fun afternoon of searching, helping, finding, giggling and celebrating.
As much as our girls loved hunting for Easter eggs in Mamaw and Papaw’s yard, we figured they’d love hunting for Easter eggs at the large community event in Fort Worth, Texas, so we took them.
As Abby ran through the large field, she was outmaneuvered by faster, older children who would snatch the brightly-colored plastic eggs before Abby could grab them. This happened to Abby and Ally over and over again as they braved the bigger kids in search of their very own Easter eggs.
My husband and I were enjoying the beautiful weather, chatting with a few other parents from our neighborhood, when suddenly I heard cries of desperation from Abby, followed with gasps and sobs coming from Ally.
When I found our girls, they were sitting down next to their empty Easter baskets, totally tuckered out and troubled from the unsuccessful hunt.
It was at that moment it dawned on me, They’ve never been to a genuine, non-fixed Easter egg hunt!
At the Medlock Easter Egg Eggstravaganza, Abby and Ally didn’t have to sweat the hunt because they knew there would be eggs with their names on them just waiting to be found. There was no panic, no fighting, no stress, and no disappointment. While the girls had looked so forward to this citywide Easter egg hunt, they were no longer in good spirits.
Through tears, Abby whimpered, “The big kids took all the eggs, Mommy!”
Ally, who had found a roly poly bug in the dirt to entertain her, had tear-stained cheeks and a quivering bottom lip. She was too upset to talk. As Daddy grabbed their empty Easter baskets, I grabbed their hands and we all headed to our SUV.
We tried to salvage the day with a quick trip to Wal-Mart’s toy aisle and a visit to IHOP for some yummy pancakes. As I used wet wipes to remove the roly poly germs and dirt from the girls’ faces, I tried to explain to the girls how actual Easter egg hunts work and how Mamaw and Papaw’s Easter Egg Eggstravaganza was “a fixed” egg hunt.
Abby looked up at me with her big green eyes and said, “Mommy, we like fixed ones best.”
Ally nodded in agreement.
I’m with Abby and Ally. I liked fixed Easter egg hunts best, too.
I like knowing that when I go on an Easter egg hunt, there will be eggs awaiting me with my name on them. In fact, I like going through life like that, don’t you? And as Christians, we get to!
That’s why I love walking with the Lord every single day–not just on Easter–because He orchestrates my life in such a way that I feel as if I’m living out the joy, excitement and celebration of a fixed Easter egg hunt. When I open up God’s Word and search the Scriptures, I find promises for me.
And, just like the fixed Easter egg hunt, there are promises for you, too! For example, when I read Jeremiah 29:11 that says He has a good plan for me, I can smile and say, “Yes!” and put that promise in the Easter basket otherwise known as my heart.
And so can you.
The older I get, the more I appreciate those Medlock Easter Egg Eggstravaganzas. I look back and remember the love, enthusiasm and care that my parents put into each Easter egg hunt, and I am assured that my Heavenly Father is even more loving, enthusiastic, and caring when it comes to His children.
He has many treasures stored up for us–that’s what His Word says–and I believe it because my “Easter basket” is full today.
If your Easter basket is empty this season, dive into God’s Word and begin filling it with His promises especially for you.
Happy Resurrection Day and happy hunting!
