How About a Trip to the Desert?

Lent is the time of year when I, with purpose and on purpose, make changes. It's a personal time of interior inspection into my heart and soul…..and an exterior inspection of my body. On the exterior side, I’ve been eating like there is no tomorrow. I’ve used the excuse that I’m too busy to focus on discipling my body. “Besides, Lent is coming up and I’ll pull it together then." St. Paul, I need to take your words into my heart and soul AND body! He said, “I keep on disciplining my body, making it serve me so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not somehow be disqualified.” (1 Cor 9:27). So, I’ve started back on my purposeful strengthening and working this young body out so it will serve me and others well. I'm also honing in on better eating habits (The Daniel Fast -- all fruits and vegetables during Lent). I sure don’t want to be disqualified,

But this season is really about taking a deep dive into the journey of our Lord and Savior. It's about "coming clean". "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10). It's about repentance, restraint and preparation for Jesus’ death on the cross and self-giving love that resolutely puts aside our own wants, needs, and desires in favor of obedience to God. Please don't misunderstand me when I say "preparation for Jesus' death on the cross". We're not putting Him back up on the cross. He died once, so we don't ever have to die a spiritual death. We get to do life with Him forever. We are embracing the cross for which He gave His life for you and me.

It doesn't really sound so enticing, does it? There is no party-hardy in the equation. I want my coffee and my chocolate. I want a prayer life that I instantly understand divine mysteries. I want to ease my way through Lent and life without struggles, hunger pains, worry and going to the desert. I want my needs met and my pockets filled to the brim with God’s goodness. I want world peace. And, can’t we all just get along?

But, a BIG but, what I’ve come to know – is Lent is the reminder that all this sort of thinking is, well, ashes and dust. It’s the reminder that none of THAT stuff is going to matter in the light of eternity. Lent is for focusing the mind, heart, and spirit on God and taking a trip to the desert.

That's the first thing to notice about Lent -- the desert. Jesus spent forty days in the desert fasting and wrestling with the devil. But He came out of that wrestle empowered by the Holy Spirit and His miracle ministry began. That's how I hope to come out of this Lenten season -- empowered to love greater, being a stronger, devoted follower of Christ, and shining brighter with His bright light. If we are experiencing struggles, it doesn't mean we are spiritual failures. It means we are participants in the life of Jesus and, in Him and with Him, we, too will be empowered and have great hope of sharing His reward.

“Lord, open my eyes to see you more clearly, love you more dearly, and follow you more nearly.”
St. Richard of Chichester

What is PUZZLING You?

Fun photo of my Larry and Staci working hard on a jigsaw puzzle together. Not! Not the puzzle because it was lying there waiting for attention, but asking these two, who were very busy working at their computers, to pretend they had the time on this day to find a few pieces and connect them. They helped me stage my inspiration for today's blog.

It isn’t out-of-the-ordinary for this family to have a jigsaw puzzle going at the end of their kitchen island. And I have been known to add to the continuation of the fun by gifting another one to them. I’m catering to my own enjoyment of finding a few pieces to add to the project when I stop by. But, this recent puzzle has been sitting on their island since I gifted it to them for Valentine’s. The border is done (that’s the easy part) with some added pieces, but progress has been slow with this one. Why?

This jigsaw puzzle is lenticular which means the image has an illusion of depth and changes when viewed from different angles. In other words, what I saw as a fun opportunity to expand our horizons, has become an “eye-sore” – literally. The way the light hits the variegated shiny pieces, you have to move your head back and forth to not only see the angles of the pieces to match a partner piece, but the colors are so skewed, your eyes get sore just looking at it. I offered to take the puzzle back, but, as in anything they do, they are up for the challenge! In the meantime, we are all puzzled by this puzzle!

Tomorrow, Ash Wednesday starts the season of Lent when we have the opportunity to work on the skewed, difficult-to-reason-out pieces of our lives – those “eye-sore” pieces and welcome this time of seeking God for a clean slate and being transformed to who He desires us to be. We will receive ashes on our foreheads, in the form of the cross. We will be thinking, “I welcome transformation. I welcome You, Lord, to cleanse and purify me as I approach Good Friday when your Son paid the ultimate price for me. I welcome Resurrection Sunday when I rose with Him into the abundant life He promised to give me as I walk faithfully with Him."

Yes, as with the jigsaw puzzle, life can present "puzzling" challenges and "puzzling" situations, but when we submit to His desires for us to be renewed and transformed, our Master Creator steps in and gives us His wisdom for handling the challenges and He'll be sure to help us finish OUR "life" puzzle with all pieces intact -- and it will be JUST as He planned it to be!

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2