The Ideal Easter Garment

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[simpleazon-image align=”left” asin=”1466200936″ locale=”us” height=”160″ src=”http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41qbgUFcFDL._SL160_.jpg” width=”105″]By Ada Nicholson Brownell

The dress was a frilly pink child’s size 4. The layers of nylon and lace glistened as the skirt flared around her tiny waist. White patent leather shoes and white lacy ankle sox completed the outfit. Her hair curled around the white hat and framed our 4-year-old daughter’s beaming face.

Carolyn twirled in front of the mirror. “I like my dress!”

Gary, her brother, clothed in a navy blue three- piece suit and tie, stood like a little man at age 7, his blond hair parted and combed in place.

“I’m ready.”

Gary and Carolyn wore those Easter clothes on Sunday all summer. A photographer snapped portraits of them wearing the outfits. For years, no matter how they grew, I displayed those pictures of them looking so pretty and handsome.

We added more children to our brood, and always on Easter I enjoyed buying the tiny suits, the frilly dresses and the patent leather shoes. I still enjoy going the children’s clothing stores shopping for grandchildren, although lacy dresses aren’t as poufy and little boys usually don’t wear three-piece suits.

Yet, God’s Word taught me the best garment any of us will wear will be a robe of righteousness. It will be the greatest outfit I’ll ever wear, too.

Helping children find the way to wear righteousness doesn’t just happen. Because each person chooses whether to wear this garment, all I could do was show how to receive it. I knew from observing and studying scripture it would be a challenge and I needed to work at it.

Most of all, it required that I demonstrate serving God is the most important thing in life, so our lives revolves around serving God and church.

I wasn’t perfect. When you have five children spilling milk, crying, sometimes fighting, not doing their chores, working at piano and instrument practice, the stereo or the TV blaring, and my husband often gone working shifts at the railroad, sometimes the chaos obliterated my patience.

I’m sure I’d change things about my parenting if I could, but one thing I wouldn’t change is helping them to know how to be clothed with righteousness because they all dedicated their lives to the Lord.

When Carolyn passed away at age 31 from an aggressive form of lymphoma, that robe was more important than any little Easter dress. She wore the garment when she was brought into the presence of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who because of His death on the cross, chose it and paid for it Himself.

At Easter, memories sometimes bring back the frilly dresses and tiny little suits. My heart squeezes thinking about our children decked out to celebrate Easter. But a great celebration is coming in heaven that I pray we, every child, and every grandchild attends, properly dressed for the occasion.

Jesus told John in his vision, “They will walk with me in white, for they are worthy. All who are victorious will be clothed in white. I will never erase their names from the Book of Life, but I will announce before my Father and his angels that they are mine“(Rev. 3:4-5NLT).

What an Easter parade!

BookCoverImageSWALLOWED BY LIFE: Mysteries of Death, Resurrection and the Eternal

Special price 0.99 until 3/31/13

http://amzn.to/Jnc1rW

 

By Ada Brownell

Do you know evidence shows we’re more than a physical body?” The above book speaks about this mystery and the evidence; the wonder of life with all its electrical systems; the awesome truth about cell death and regeneration; mysteries surrounding the change from mortal to immortal; where we go when our body dies; resurrection; and a glimpse at what we will do in heaven. Questions and answers make this non-fiction inspirational book a great text for group study. It’s also written for support groups, religion classes, people with chronic or terminal illness, individuals who fear death or are curious about it, the grieving, and those who give them counsel.

Where you can find Swallowed by Life:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/Jnc1rW

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/JnbKVL

Booksamillion.com http://ow.ly/cJmx8

And you can see reviews on GoodReads http://ow.ly/cJmMe

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