“Jesus died on the cross because he loved me so, so much.”

This is what Jackson told me he would remember every time he looked at today’s Passion Week project.

This afternoon, Jackson and I made an Easter tree. With a tree branch I found in our brush pile out back, Jackson carefully planted his tree by scooping dirt into a bucket in the sink (which was supposed to be conducive for easy cleanup). Then we colored and cut out the letters J-E-S-U-S. Finally we made Easter egg ornaments and Jackson hung them on his tree.

Though the kids and I talked about many ways our tree could teach us about Jesus, what resonated most in Jackson’s heart was that Jesus died on the cross because of His love for him, for Lauren, for me, and for “everyone in the whole world.”