Pascha has come! It is the end of darkness, the end of fear—the destruction of all confusion and sin … the end of death itself. The dark clouds of our hearts scatter to oblivion. Together, we bask in the light of His resurrection, realizing we have nothing to fear because of His great love for us.

We've broken the fast together, joined our families for big meals and celebrated with friends we haven't seen in a while. These are good times—good for the heart and soul.

But now what? Where will we go from here? Is it time for a "break"? It's all too easy to become one of those famous "Easter Lilies" (beautiful while they're with us but don't last long!). It's very easy to fade away from the life of the Church, thinking we've done more than our share over Lent and imagining we need some sort of break from the Lord after Holy Week. It's far too easy to drift from our services and programs as the warm, inviting days of spring beckon and roll into the much warmer and lazy days of summer.

We've all been there, and it's a place we don't need to go again. Here's the big problem with letting this happen to you and your family: when you fade out, you deny the Church of your gifts. And God has blessed us with many gifts. If you have a talent with the youth, you deny our children of your teaching skills, your mentoring abilities and your creative ideas. Maybe you're a CPA and you're great at managing money; you'd be an asset on our stewardship committee but the parish can't benefit from your expertise, because you've got other priorities—you have the know-how to educate and share, but you won't. If you're a wonderful cook, our parishioners are denied your heart-felt and tasty skills, and the your fellow chefs miss working and chatting with you side-by-side. You're missing an opportunity to offer hospitality to your brothers and sisters.

What are these gifts meant for, if not to share?

You see, these are your gifts for me. God did not give you these vital gifts for your benefit, but for those around you—we all benefit from you! He meant for you to share what He gave you, so that others might see His creativity, His grandeur, His love and His plan for us—that He might touch others through you. If you are a counselor, a physician, an administrator, a mechanic or a gym teacher, and you're not sharing with your Church, God's plan has gone awry. Something's missing; there's a hole in the life of our parish. You're missing out and so are we. Our Church is not a club … it is your family.

Chances are, too, that you feel this hole in your life. We are never complete unless we're giving. It feels great to give of ourselves because God built us to give. If you feel that hole, it's because you're not doing what God built you to do.

Remember, God gave you these gifts for me—for my benefit. I am directly affected and improved by your gifts, and so is everyone around you. Your gifts help fill the holes that are in me. Your gifts help heal me and bring me closer to Him.

This is why I thank God for you, everyday.

I wish you a joyful and transforming Pascha, and I ask you to think and pray about the powerful and unique gifts you have. They didn't come from thin air; they came from Him. It's time to offer them back to Him through His people: your gifts for all of us.