More from Candace Kaufman

I wrote this meditation last year right around Easter. I still remember our family’s experience in that church all those years ago. We were sitting in the front pew and listening to the pastor preach about the risen Christ. It happened so long ago, but it still surprises me when I recall how proudly my five-year-old daughter answered the pastor’s question. Our family and the rest of the church were taken aback with her quick and confident answer, but the pastor thought quickly and commended her for her effort. Even my daughter looked surprised that she had spoken up in front of the congregation like that.

My daughter is grown now and has a daughter of her own, but she does not have a clear memory of that Easter Sunday since she was so young. Oddly enough, once our children were grown up, my husband and I grew away from the church did not attend services for about twenty years. It was around five years ago that we found our way back because we felt a void in our lives as we were growing older. We are now very much involved in our small country church, and I have felt God calling me to write about these experiences for some reason that I cannot quite explain. I have formed a connection with a few friends at my church and have become a part of our women’s group that plans activities and raises funds. These funds help with many aspects of our Christian faith.

I started picking up The Upper Room at our church and have been reading it every night and listening to a Bible app to obtain a better understanding of God and God’s plan for our lives. This is how I became interested in writing a meditation for submission. I have grown closer to the Lord as a result. I thank The Upper Room for publishing my meditation and helping me to feel a much closer connection to God and my family. The picture accompanying this blog is of me, my daughter, and her daughter. It was taken about three years ago when we spent a few days in Ocean City, Maryland. I’m grateful every day for how close we’ve become.