At the beginning of Lent last year, I put this dead branch in to a vase with some dull river rock to hold it. In front was a jar of kidney beans and an empty bowl. Whenever we did some type of penance (ie: relinquished the last cookie, did an unpleasant chore, etc.) we would move a bean from the jar to the bowl. The goal. of course, was to empty the jar before Easter. This photo shows the branch as it was on Holy Friday. So let's back up a bit.
On Tues. or Wed. of Holy Week, we made caterpillars out of egg cartons, and hung them on the branch. On Holy Friday, we made our caterpillars "cocoons" (aka coffee filters stapled on), to symbolize the time Jesus spent in the tomb.
When the kids woke Easter morning, they saw this--
A beautiful branch full of new life. The butterflies, of course, are Jesus resurrected. The blossoms show us that even when things seem dead, there is life. Just as when we die, we will be made beautiful in Eternal life with Jesus in heaven.
The bowl of beans had miraculously turned into lovely eggs (peanut M&Ms), showing us that God can and does create something beautiful out of our meager attempts to serve Him.
We will do this activity again this year, as we really liked it and got a lot from it.
I hope you might try it at your house, too!
