Last night we had our little Friday night get together and it was a really good time. We set up the sitting room with no furniture in it and covered the floor with korpatchas, sort of like sleeping bags that don’t open from Central Asia, to sit on. Five families all sat around in our cramped little room (we closed the pocket doors for an extra wall to lean on) and talked about the Passover meal. Everyone had a little something to share, which was cool.
Some of us had been to a sedar before, other people had read books, and everyone knew their Bible and was looking to learn a lot and have a lot of meaning in it all.
The biggest part for me was hiding the Afikomen. The afikomen is the center piece of the bread in the 3 pieces that are called “the Unity” it is taken out, broken, and half of it is hidden somewhere in the house. I hid it behind the couch while all of the kids were in the sitting room. We enjoyed our snacks of cheese, grapes, almond windmill cookies, and talked about all kinds of things, spiritual and unspiritual.
We ate some horseradish to taste the bitterness of sin, and drank down some wine to wash it away. Cindy said she thought her nose was going to fall off. Eric Youngblood took a huge chunk down in two bites. Isaac cried and cried to me that he wanted to taste the wine, but I told him he could only do it if he at the horseradish. I could tell that was an impasse, and he was just getting sad so I let him have a little taste. It blew him away. He hated it and seemed a little disappointed that he cried for it so, but was happy to get some grape juice after that.
At the end of the party, I told the kids that it couldn’t be over until they found the Afikomen. They took off in a mad race, running up and down the stairs, all over the place looking for it. I was so moved that I went in to the parents and we prayed that our kids would grow up to hunger and run after Jesus with such zeal passion hunger joy as they had seeking after the symbol of Jesus at Passover.
While we were praying, David came in and asked me if he could have a hint. I was so moved then that I told him it was downstairs and then prayed that they would ask the Father for help as they seek out the Son. David told everyone it was downstairs and they all came down to look for it.
As they were getting closer, I went back to the parents and said, “Watch and see what joy there is then they find it.” and just then I could hear shouts from the next room. “I found it! I found it! I got it! It’s here behind the couch!” and sure enough David came in jumping and stomping with the cloth napkin and bread held as high as he could over his head.
We haggled for the redemption of the afikomen, He asked $8 at first, I got him down to 50¢ and then told him I’d give him $5 because Jesus more than paid for us, and then all the kids got PEZ. it was a really good time.
May we all seek after Jesus with such chaotic, driven fervor. May we not fear tripping down stairs while we run or banging our heads together, but run after the hidden and waiting to be found Savior of the world, and when we find Him, hold Him up as high as we can with a cheer of victory, knowing deep down that the Father designed this gift to be found from the beginning.
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