“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.” Psalm 23:1-3
This is not the Lenten season that I thought it would be. We are days away from Easter and looking back I can say that this has been a different kind of Lent than what I expected. I entered Ash Wednesday in the throes of lament dressed in a sheer garment of sackcloth and ashes that depending on how the light caught my eyes were visible to those who knew me well or well enough. I entered Lent weary, disappointed, and somewhat brokenhearted so the timing of the season and my state of mind made poetic sense.
But two weeks into the journey something unexpected happened. I woke up with a new sense of joy, a renewed sense of God’s nearness, and a new hope concerning my journey. I woke up and heard that the bridegroom was with me. The places marked for sacrifice became places marked for celebration and rejoicing. The places set aside for mourning became altars where dancing became the appropriate expression to God’s call. This Lenten season I have been reminded of the call to live and not die, and more aptly stated, the call to live fully… abundantly.
There is still much work to do. Cleaning. De-cluttering. Repairs. Renovations… the workload is heavy and will not all be completed by April 24th. Yet there remains in my heart this morning the wonder that gripped me several weeks ago. The Lord my God is with me. The Great Shepherd has known that what I most needed in this season was rest and renewing, joy and laughter. What I now recognize that I needed in this season was to remember that not only am I not alone, but that I have never been left alone even in the places that have been landmines of ashes. This Lent has been different, unusual. Non-Lenty even. But I have decided to trust the move of God in the season. I have decided to abandon my fear of misreading what has been happening and trust my movement in it.
I have eyed a wonderfully lush green pasture to lie down in. Pens, journal, Bible, several magazines and a couple of books. If you’re going to rest, you might as well pack the right tools. And even now, sipping jasmine tea, I hear the quiet bubbling of nearby waters. I will soon journey there to drink, to refresh my face, and cool my legs as I soak in the sun. This Lent my soul is being restored. For me this Lent has definitely been a different kind of Lent.
Becoming... 