Dirt on the Shoes and Hope in the Heart

I remember when I was a child putting on my Easter dress and my fancy shoes—and then getting them all dirty at the Easter egg hunt after church. There was something special about it. The church was full of flowers and sunshine, the music was louder and more joyful, and everyone seemed to be smiling just a little more than usual. Even with my scuffed shoes and grass-stained knees, Easter felt like the best day of the year.

Now, as a pastor, I still feel that same joy—though I usually trade the Easter dress for a robe and stole, and the egg hunt happens after I’ve shaken a hundred hands and found glitter on the sanctuary carpet. But the heart of it is the same: Easter is a celebration of new life, of light breaking through darkness, and of the incredible hope we have in Jesus’ resurrection.

During our weekly Lenten Bible study, we’ve been reading The Hardest Part by Kate Bowler. It’s a powerful reminder that life doesn’t always tie up neatly with a bow—and that sometimes, the most faithful thing we can do is show up with our questions and our broken hearts. Kate reminds us that resurrection doesn’t erase the hard parts of life—it meets us there. Easter doesn’t pretend there was no Good Friday. Instead, it proclaims that death and despair don’t get the final word. Love does.

We all need that reminder, don’t we? That God is still at work, still rolling away stones, still surprising us with grace we didn’t expect. Whether you’re coming to Easter worship with a heart full of joy or one that’s feeling a little weary, I hope you’ll come just as you are. That’s the beauty of resurrection—it meets us in the real stuff of life, in our dirt and doubt and ordinary moments, and says, “See? There’s still more to come.”

So wear your Easter best if you’d like—or come in your comfortable clothes. But don’t be surprised if you leave with a little dirt on your shoes and a lot more hope in your heart.

Christ is risen—He is risen indeed!  See you Easter Sunday!

Peace, Pastor Tracy