Today is Ash Wednesday.
This signifies the start of a 46 day journey in the Christian faith leading up to the celebration of Easter.
Yesterday, I was speaking with a mentor of mine regarding lent.
I asked him what was weighing heavy on his heart as we enter this season of sacrifice and transformation.
His answer…the gift of healing.
You see, typically we love to fill our life with tiny idols.
They can look something like this
- Social Media
- Social Acceptance
- Social Proof
- Money
- Material goods
Now – you might be quick to say, how is that an idol.
Well – in times of chaos and times of confusion, where do you turn?
If your first reaction is to pull out your phone an log on to facebook to see how many likes your latest post got…there is a tiny hint.
If your first reaction is to run to your money and make sure it is safe and secure…that is a tiny hint.
It is these small things that are designed to distract us from a moment by moment opportunity to orient ourselves towards a closer relationship with God.
So…
When I asked for further clarification from my friend, he mentioned to me the act of love and free will.
He notes that through sacrifice of our tiny idols, we open up opportunity to unite ourselves with God throughout the day.
In this union, God goes to work on our soul and our spirit.
He takes the anxiety, fear, doubt, and frustration and transforms them into peace, hope, joy and love.
Quite frankly, I had to pause for a moment to take that all in.
See – so many times we want to find comfort in our material goods.
I know I am super guilty of it…try being a business owner for a month – you think you have anxiety and depression and fear (that happens every single day maybe even multiple times an hour)
But what I heard was the voice of God through my friend, letting me know that everything is going to be okay.
Letting me know that the start of this Lent signifies an opportunity for transformation in my life so that I can best serve the community of Hope with the talents of healing I have been given.
Thus…what will you embark upon this lent?
What sacrifices can you make in your life that will open up opportunities for God to go to work on your soul?
You would be shocked to see what can happen in 46 days….
