I wrote this for my husband earlier this week. He urged me to share it with all of you. I'm always a bit nervous about sharing my faith. It's not that I'm ashamed of it, just that it's not my strong point. But it is a HUGE part of who I am. So...here ya go!
I’ve been thinking a lot about Lent and what it means to us as Christians. I
recently came across this post on a friend’s Facebook page and I think it explains it
well.
"It is at time to let go of excuses for failings and shortcomings; a time to
stop hanging on to whatever shreds of goodness we perceive in ourselves; a time
to ask God to show us what we really look like. Lent should never be morose--an
annual ordeal during which we begrudgingly forgo a handful of pleasures.
Instead, we ought ...to approach Lent as an opportunity, not a requirement.
After all, it is meant to be the church's springtime, a time when, out of
darkness of winter's sin, a repentant, empowered people emerges."
This quote got me thinking of what a “repentant, empowered person” looks like. Growing up in a traditional Lutheran church, we celebrated Lent every year. More often than not, I’d give up things like chocolate or French fries, to no avail. I was a child and really could not grasp the idea of Christ’s sacrifice and what it meant. As an adult and a parent, I now understand sacrifice a bit more. To me, a repentant person would be aware of their sins, their shortcomings. Their hearts would be tender and welcoming of God’s presence. And an empowered person takes that love that God has bestowed upon them and gives of themselves, without thought. Sharing the love of Christ with others.
It’s been years since I celebrated Lent and this year; I’m vowing to change that. Mother Theresa said “We cannot all do great things…but we do small things with great love.” These next 40 days, that is my plan. Each day, I will do one small thing with great love. Now, it may be as small as holding the door for someone or giving a friend that extra needed boost. That’s all good. But it’s the intent and love behind each act that I’m worried about. I will not do small things with the hope that I will be rewarded or thanked in some way. It’s all about that authentic, unconditional love. It’s all about God’s love. I hope you’ll join me on this journey and as we venture into Holy Week and Easter Sunday, I pray that we will remember Christ’s love for us and the sacrifice He made so that we may love one another as He first loved us.
I'm feeling liberated already! What are you sacrificing or changing during this Lenten season?
This quote got me thinking of what a “repentant, empowered person” looks like. Growing up in a traditional Lutheran church, we celebrated Lent every year. More often than not, I’d give up things like chocolate or French fries, to no avail. I was a child and really could not grasp the idea of Christ’s sacrifice and what it meant. As an adult and a parent, I now understand sacrifice a bit more. To me, a repentant person would be aware of their sins, their shortcomings. Their hearts would be tender and welcoming of God’s presence. And an empowered person takes that love that God has bestowed upon them and gives of themselves, without thought. Sharing the love of Christ with others.
It’s been years since I celebrated Lent and this year; I’m vowing to change that. Mother Theresa said “We cannot all do great things…but we do small things with great love.” These next 40 days, that is my plan. Each day, I will do one small thing with great love. Now, it may be as small as holding the door for someone or giving a friend that extra needed boost. That’s all good. But it’s the intent and love behind each act that I’m worried about. I will not do small things with the hope that I will be rewarded or thanked in some way. It’s all about that authentic, unconditional love. It’s all about God’s love. I hope you’ll join me on this journey and as we venture into Holy Week and Easter Sunday, I pray that we will remember Christ’s love for us and the sacrifice He made so that we may love one another as He first loved us.
I'm feeling liberated already! What are you sacrificing or changing during this Lenten season?
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