Empty Eggs

I am particularly excited to bring you today’s “Hott Flashes”!  For you see, this “flash” happened a few weeks ago when all the wee Hott’s were home for Easter/Spring Break.  Due to a work commitment as a substitute teacher, I have been crazy busy.  My hat goes off my gray “little” head (stop laughing Dan!) to all you working moms out there! With a household of six (plus the occasional extras), keeping up with laundry, groceries, bathrooms, and the garden has been a dilemma for me lately.  Fortunately, summer is just around the corner, right?

So, as I was saying…  today, I want to share with you the words of wisdom that came from my baby boy.  He is such a strong little man; always on the go with a new joke or song to perform.  In fact, he aspires to be exactly like his “idol” – an aspiring rock star who, unfortunately, was voted off Levi’s favorite show last night.  James Durbin will be sorely missed in the Hott Household.  I am actually considering calling up American Idol to complain that after last night’s results episode, both my boys cried themselves to sleep.  Seriously.  Especially Levi.

The youngest in the family, Levi allows no one to call him the “baby” of the family.  Strangers actually walk away with bruised shins from a swift kick when he hears the comment, “Oh, is this the ‘baby’ of the family?”  Consider yourself warned.  Levi tries hard to be well beyond his six years and mostly aspires to be a rock and roller.  I even find him dismantling his closet to find the wildest costumes to wear.  Watch out Berkeley Springs, W. Va.,….  I’m not sure our school is ready for a student dressed like Steven Tyler.  Additionally, like any other child, Levi – loves – candy!  You get the picture?

So, imagine my shock upon Levi’s uncanny and observant comment recently following an event at our church.

Here’s what  happened:

It was a rainy Saturday just before Easter, when the “Community Egg Hunt” was moved to an indoor location – the church!  Only at First Church with Pastors Andrew and Sarah, would 200 plus screaming children be not only invited but welcomed to hunt for no less than 3,000 candy filled Easter Eggs.

The place was packed!  Parents, grandparents, and children of ALL ages were spilling out all over the place.  My Hott boys, just a year apart, were eagerly awaiting to gather the loot.  Ms. Sarah, FUMC Children’s Pastor, had promised 3,000 candy filled, (Did I say CANDY filled?!) eggs!  So, as I am crammed in a pew with my rowdy boys, friends, and strangers, Sarah is in the pulpit attempting to go over the rules.  She proceeds to discuss safety guidelines, age appropriate search locations, and, oh…. I should mention, she announced that a few of the eggs would be empty.

What?  Empty!!!

I expected a revolt!  As I looked over at my boys, both sitting on their faces in the pew with Levi’s friend from kindergarten, they were clueless.  There was so much noise.  I don’t think they heard a word.  Then Sarah added, “Yes, a few eggs will be empty.  Just like the tomb was empty on Easter morning.”  Hummmm…  I thought that was pretty cool idea.  Too bad the masses of people missed it.  Hope my kids don’t get an empty egg; they’ll never understand that.  Sarah must be crazy!  Oh well, let’s go hunt some eggs.

Eggs were everywhere!  It looked like it had rained eggs inside the church.  What took hours to plan and organize took only mere moments to complete.  3,000 eggs were recovered in under 10 minutes!

That’s when I lost my boys!  They went different directions, of course, as boys will do.  After another 30 minutes, I finally found my “baby” boy Levi.  He was all smiles, of course.  After all, he had a basket full of candy filled Easter eggs!  And.oh.my.goodness, was he ever excited!

“Mom!  Mom!”  Levi came running down the hall with his heavy bag of eggs and a huge smile on his face. He was so excited, his freckles even sparkled.   “Mom!  Guess what?!”  “Well… let’s see Levi; it looks like you got lots of candy in there!”

“No, mom.  NO!”  said Levi.  “I GOT AN EMPTY EGG!  Just like Jesus’ empty tomb!  An EMPTY egg!”  Levi captured the prize, didn’t he!

(Guess he was listening after all!)

And he said to them, “Do not be amazed; you seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen, he is not here; see the place where they laid him. – Mark 16:6

Copyright © Angie Hott, Moms of Faith, All Rights Reserved