Placed in the Center
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
My Place
As a child, I have so many memories of celebrating Easter with my family. Growing up, I was the “middle child.” For me, the term middle child had many phrases attached to it. Basically, anytime I got in trouble or made a bad choice, I would hear, “She’s the middle child.” I didn’t mind it, I actually loved it. But as the middle child, I remember feeling like the odd one out and a little overshadowed every once in a while. On some days, I felt like I didn’t have a special place because I wasn’t the oldest and I wasn’t the baby.
Relating to Jan
This is probably the number one reason I loved watching, “The Brady Bunch,” so much as a child. I could connect and relate with Jan so much. Jan was so much like me. I was very insecure about my glasses, my style, and my appearance. I worried about when puberty would kick in and when I would get a boyfriend. Just like Jan, I wanted to be known for something and recognized for something other than messing up in life. But watching Jan somehow gave me a little comfort knowing being a little awkward and messing up happens to us all, and being in the center has its perks too.
My Basket
On Easter mornings, my sisters and I would dash into the dining room where we would find our Easter baskets filled with our favorite things. Our baskets were always in order according to our age with our names on small pieces of paper in front of the baskets. As we got older, mom stopped putting out names and we just knew which basket belonged to each of us. My basket was ALWAYS in the center. This made me always feel so special, my basket being in the center of the three baskets.
What the Center has Taught Me
Being placed in the center or middle has taught me so much. It has taught me how everyone needs to feel special and “placed in the center.” But most of all it has taught me the importance of placing Jesus in the center of my life and what this means. This Easter Sunday is going to look a little different for most of us, but the meaning is still the same. We are to honor and acknowledge Jesus’s resurrection and the gift we have all been given. Place Him right in the center each and every day, not just on Easter. Jesus is the center of it all.
Counting My Blessings,
Susan Browder
Jesus at the Center – Israel Houghton https://youtu.be/XQspvrTBd6E
Additional Reading