He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10
The camera lights were basically tanning my eyeballs. The camera itself was close enough to see the wrinkles my makeup didn’t fully hide. And then the podcaster, working on an Easter promotion, in her pink-and-yellow Easter frock, cheerful smile and all, leaned in and asked:
“So… what’s in your basket?”
And the pondering began.
A few years ago, when our kids were still in high school, I was being filmed, doing my best to look thoughtful and composed. But I could feel myself slipping, and I knew that if I didn’t pull it together, the word laundry was about to come out of my mouth.
Of course, I knew the “right” answers: Jesus. The Bible. The Resurrection. My children. My husband.
But an adorable Easter basket wasn’t anywhere on my radar, not even a little.
It was that time of year when all the athletic seasons collide. Jerseys stiff with mud. Sweat-soaked shirts. Socks that vanished and reappeared like magic. Towels, so many towels, multiplying in heaps on the laundry room floor. The minute I turned my back, more appeared. My laundry room looked like a crime scene, and I had no time to watch my favorite CSI to help me solve the mystery of how it got that way.
And here it was Holy Week. My life should have felt squeaky clean. Instead, it felt smudged. I was trying to be reflective and reverent, yet I was praying the Lord’s Prayer while throwing towels into the dryer. I wanted peace in every step, and instead I was stewing over that question:
What’s in your basket?
That’s when I felt the gentle nudge of the Lord, like a whisper from Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” Be still. Let this week enter your heart, mind, and spirit. The laundry will get done, and your heart will be full. I’ll admit, I doubted the clean laundry part. But I knew that if I would let Him handle what I couldn’t, all would be well. And, somehow it was. The laundry got done. The boys had clean baseball uniforms. But, more important than that, I did have time to be still. And when the podcaster asked again, I finally had an answer.
“What is in my basket?”
“Nothing,” I said.
She looked a little alarmed, but I meant it. If we’re talking about what I’m bringing to Easter, it doesn’t have to be full. Because the point of the whole story is that the tomb is empty. It was empty years ago when this happened and it is empty today and I am so glad.
Easter is about the risen Lord, always with me, and a heart that can finally rest in praise and joy. An empty Easter basket. An empty tomb. And a Savior who fills everything else.
Ponder a little:
1. Ok so the big question is “What’s in your Basket?”
2. Does living a life for and with Jesus make you feel “squeaky clean?”
3. Is there something that takes you away from time with Jesus?
Pray with Me,
Precious Resurrected One,
I get smudged at times when I stray from you. It’s hard to stay squeaky clean on the inside and out, but I know if I listen for your whisper all will be well.
I’m listening with both ears.