Love and Lent
"Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. Go in Peace."
Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return. It was curious to have Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday happen in the same frame, but apropos, since the greatest gift of love was Christ's road to suffering, which commences with Ash Wednesday. Husband is neither a romantic nor a planner, so this day passes by like any other. I taught my two Yoga classes at CorePower Sherman Oaks, and did my own body love and maintenance by taking a special "Love" themed class featuring Beatles music at CorePower Pasadena. Sweet Brit, the assistant studio manager at Pasadena ably led the class, and sang a beautiful rendition of "Let it Be" while we were in Savasana. I got a rose and some delicious juice treats from KoJuice. The rose is stunning, and blooming happily on my kitchen table.
Then the husband and I attended Ash Wednesday service at the Montrose Church Pasadena-Bresee campus, and received our imposition of ashes. I never feel as though I am very focused during this season because life always seems to be whooshing by at a pace that doesn't seem to encourage stillness and reflection. I am gearing up to lead another Teacher Training in a week, and we are also moving (finally) to a new home at the end of the month. Sad to say, I feel divided, and consumed with everything else but Lent. Which is why I love the devotionals I get from Rick Savage, one of the care pastors at Montrose Church. Starting with Ash Wednesday and going through Easter, each day gives a minute focus for the day, and a global focus for the season in bite-sized portions to which I can commit. I figure this Lent I can work on taking on a more spiritual focus rather than giving up something tangible; so I'm committing to more time with devotionals, and more time in the word. Believe it or not, I am a horrible devotional person. People give them to me as gifts, I start one, and after a couple of months, never pick it up again. It's a rhythm that has never stuck well; so I figure it is a worthy goal in which to commit to help me to turn inward and delve more deeply. Pastor Rick's Ash Wednesday's devotional encouraged that the path of Lent is a journey inward, and turning our eye and ear to what God is doing is pivotal to being a part of it.
"What shall we do on the journey? "Blow the trumpet in Zion.” Stir up the ranks. Get the good word out. God is on the move. The times, for now, might be difficult, but these times are in the hands of God. "Rend your heart" so that you will be in tune with what God is doing."
Today's devotional, addressed my feelings or overwhelm and chaos, even with just simply doing my job and maintaining life.
"We live in a noisy world. Lent is a gift to us in that noise. (emphasis mine) Perhaps that's why God said in Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God." Every follower of Jesus is helped when they find a way, in the noise, to "Be still" and draw near to God. Lent is set apart each year for a purposeful being still, quieting our hearts in the busyness, and listening to the Spirit of God speak into our lives...
"We may not be able to stop the noise but we can come to Jesus. We can listen to the Spirit and have our hearts cleared of clutter, and learn again the ways and paths of God."
Listen and learn. Makes it seem less difficult than this season sometimes appears; makes me feel less guilty about my own inability to jump into the season with both feet. It's okay to dip a toe, or wade, as long as I come to the water consistently and get wet. Along with the Lenten devotionals, I was also invited by an online friend on the Bible app to do a 31-day devotional on Wisdom, taken from the book of Proverbs. Accountability is a good motivator for me to stay consistent, along with the fact that it's nice to be chosen to be included in something. So I accepted, and dipped in. Today's devotional talked about the teammates of Wisdom: Love, Faith, and Trust. I was struck by how it expressed Love's role in partnering with Wisdom.
"Love gives wisdom a playground in which to play – because honestly if we have no love for God, why would we listen to His wisdom?"
It brought me back to the reality that I would not seek Wisdom if I did not love the God who gives wisdom liberally, and does not withhold (James 1:5), and if I did not want to please him and walk in his ways. When you seek to please the beloved, wanting to know his mind and hear his voice is a part of that. So even in the midst of my chaos and juggling, I guess I am still seeking the way and choosing the journey. And that gives me Hope.