During Lent we're asking to be lovingly refined; we're making room for God to work out the splinters in our hearts. Lent is the 40 day season leading to Easter, based on Jesus’ 40 days of prayer and preparation in the wilderness. It's been said that Lent is a good time to put something down and to pick something up. Perhaps putting down our phones in order to read scripture, or missing a meal in order to pray. The choices are ours.
Of course when we think of putting something down in order to pick something up, we might also think of Jesus’ cross. “Take up your cross and follow me”, says Jesus. So Lent is also a time of recommitment. If we’ve somehow loosened our grip on the cross, let some distance grow between ourselves and Jesus, Lent is a time of devoting ourselves again to Christ.
As we head toward Easter - and that splintery cross comes increasingly into view - let's make some room for God to bring about healing and maturity.
