Celebrating Easter is always tough because it comes during the season. It’s tough, but not impossible. You just have to be creative to find ways to make the day special.
Our chaplains always do a good job to make sure they put together a 15-minute sermon that day. Or sometimes I can attend a night service if we have a day game, or simply watch an online sermon. You just have to do your best to be proactive to make this day memorable.
The most important thing about Easter is focusing on the actual meaning of the day — making sure Jesus and what He’s done for us is the focal point. It’s about being in awe of how deep His love for us is. Though we can read and think about what Jesus did for us on any day of the year, this specific day is a really special way to realize that His sacrifice for us truly goes far beyond what we can comprehend.
I remember when Easter was all about the egg hunts and chocolate, but there came a moment when I realized that this day was a much bigger deal. I specifically remember during my college days at Florida State when our team was on the road, about to compete with Georgia Tech. We had a game Easter night and with a heavy Christian community on our team, we always had chapel on Sunday before our games.
But this day, they made our chapel service a really big deal, inviting family, friends and staff to join us in the hotel conference room as we celebrated what Christ has done for us. Honestly, I was shocked to see everyone going to such a great effort to make this happen. It was really cool because, while we were in our uniforms, about to head to the field, we were still making it a priority to ensure Easter was celebrated. I’ll never forget that day.
Spending holidays such as Easter with my team gives me more opportunities to talk about Jesus with my teammates. And with the Bible studies we have, there are many moments to invite guys to grab food with you and enjoy 30 minutes of the Word.
It’s important to create opportunities for others to meet Christ without pushing it on them. I simply say, “As a friend, I think it would be really cool to have you come to this with me.” My prayer and hope is that they will say yes and join us, but even if they don’t, they know I care enough about them, and about my relationship with Christ, to want them to experience the same.
— Luke Weaver, St. Louis Cardinals pitcher
The Increase, part of the Sports Spectrum Network, is a community of Christian pro athletes sharing their personal stories of the decrease of self and the increase of Christ (John 3:30). Visit TheIncrease.com for more stories and videos.
