considering lent: 3 years of journey

every year this journey of lent gets me...
leaves me questioning, searching, digging deeper.
today i read-
Today, we begin our Lenten pilgrimage in a 40 day trek to the cross, where we remember the sufferings of Christ and His stubborn love toward us.

that hits me hard, right in the gut. HIS LOVE. HIS SACRIFICE. 

it's good to go back & read - year 1: lent of don't & year 2: lent of don't plus some
and in all honestly, i fail at lent. every year this considering, this lent of don't has left me flailing, falling, failing.
and that's okay too. it brings me closer to HIM. to the SAVIOR of my life. PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME.

but i know this:
i want more for my life, more for my family.
every Christmas as the lights and the tree and the ornaments and presents and traditions grow i can't help but question, why isn't Easter bigger?
on Easter we celebrate His DEATH & RESURRECTION!
for goodness sakes, without this we would be nothing. like dust.
but we are ALIVE IN HIM.
PRAISE JESUS FOR HE IS RISEN.
i want to shout it from the rooftops, sing until i can't sing anymore, live it with my whole life!
but for some reason Christmas gets all the attention...
i've talked with a sweet friend and she gets it too. the confusion & frustration & questioning. for that i am grateful. her family, they take the Trail to the Tree- an Easter Devotional.
i think i'd like to get our family on this trail as well.

but for now, we've agreed on this 40 Days of Water with Blood Water Mission 
the basic concept- give up all drinks except for water for the next 40 days & the money you save not buying coffee, beer, etc you donate to get safe drinking water to Uganda.
i think this will be a great challenge. a challenge for sure.
but a good challenge for this lent. as we prepare to celebrate the risen one. 

Lord, prepare our hearts as we chose to focus on You. for the next forty days allow us to humbly approach Your throne with thanksgiving for the gift of water, for the gift of LIFE EVERLASTING & the gift of YOUR HOPE. we praise You & thank You. amen.

1 comment:

  1. Kim, I truly love these words... Thank you so much for sharing.

    "...His stubborn love..." I have never thought of it that way, and I ADORE it! I am actually going to write it on my chalkboard right after I finish writing this!

    I am excited to read more of your blog, and to be encouraged by your posts as I am from this one!

    Hugs to you my faraway friend.

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