A Different Ash Wednesday

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. He fasted for forty days and forty nights, and afterwards he was hungry. 

                                                                                    ~Matthew 4:1–2

It's Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent. This day we take the first step with Jesus into a spiritual desert for the Lenten season. 

Typically today I would decide what sacrifices to make for the next forty days, but this year is different. This year, it feels like I'm starting in the middle of the desert, and I'm already hungry. 

I'm hungry for connection. I'm hungry for normalcy. I'm hungry for peace. I'm left wondering, in this weird pandemic reality of 2021, how do I approach the season of Lent?

So...a Lenten invitation for anyone who would like to join me. Instead of considering what to give up or what to add, perhaps we pause and go deeper into our present moment to see how God is working in our lives. 

Let's ask ourselves:

What has been exposed in my isolation? 

When the world became suddenly still, what spoke to me?

In the midst of these difficult days, what surprised me most about myself?

Do I feel closer to God for having walked through the trials of this year?

Where do I find God in my life right now? 

If there is one thing I could do today to feel God's presence, what would it be?

There are no wrong answers, just starting places.