by Laurie Klein
Our prayer group settles into the waiting silence. We inhale more slowly. Exhale fully. The woman guiding our meditation beckons us deeper . . .
“Picture yourself receiving a gift,” she says, “something to support your spiritual journey.”
Secretly, I hope for a jeweled lantern. A stargazer lily. A leaping gazelle.
Not an inchworm.
In my mind’s eye the creature is roughly the length of my fingertip, spineless, yet intrepid, and green as the first lettuce leaves unfurling in May. I flex my hand. The image persists, so vivid it almost tickles.
As if poised for travel down to my palm, my pretend companion raises its head. So, I expect the front end to lead. But the hind legs launch micro-steps and . . . hump! goes the legless, ungainly middle. Then the back feet anchor themselves, giving the front legs their turn.
Seems the inchworm gauges its progress in units, using its own body. A wave of affection stirs me. Here is a small-world Olympian bent on testing its limits.
Is this a prompt to listen more to my body? Or perhaps “Aspire to more” is the message.
Words spoken by 17th century philosopher/theologian Robert Boyle come to mind:
“The book of nature is a fine and large piece of tapestry rolled up,
which we are not able to see all at once,
but must be content to wait for the discovery of its beauty, and symmetry,
little by little, as it gradually comes
to be more and more unfolded, or displayed.”
Perhaps the gift goes deeper, intersecting with patience. Will I accept—even celebrate—my soul’s incremental headway?
In the 1952 movie, Hans Christian Anderson, starring Danny Kaye, local school children glumly intone arithmetic sums in a minor key. Anderson, rebuffed by their crotchety schoolmaster for waving at them, notices a caterpillar moving among the flowers, then sings:
Inchworm, inchworm (two and two are four)
Measuring the marigolds (four and four are eight)
Seems to me, you’d stop and see (eight and eight are sixteen)
How beautiful they are (sixteen and sixteen are thirty-two)
I feel warned. Eager for measurable spiritual growth, I tend to hyper-focus on well-meaning religious regimens or 3-step how-tos. Sometimes I miss the wonders unfolding around me. Rote learning works, but visitations of grace—like the inchworm—endlessly appear, to surprise and instruct me.
Will I pay attention? I long for Spirit-led plans, postures, and gestures, knowing they may be less than dignified.
Inchworms alternately crawl, pause in a looped omega shape, even stand, swaying, on stubby legs. Some species can roll and leap. When danger threatens, they impersonate twigs. Or they spin silken threads and bungee jump into the air; hitchhike on the wind to a juicy new leaf.
Hunger, peril, and beauty evoke diverse actions and postures in me too, as I . . .
- double-take
- sway
- bow
- tremble
- re-anchor
- arise
- stretch
- create
- twirl
- soar
Looping and lurching, the journey unfolds: always, those next awkward steps, that tenuous middle ground, then the moment of modest progress. Repeat. And sometimes, a setback, another chance to regroup. And repeat . . .
What a gift! Charming, tender, impelled—the inchworm points the way.
_________________________
“Inchworm,” by Frank Loesser
Danny Kaye plays Hans Christian Anderson here.
Photo by Ekaterina Shevchenko on Unsplash
Tomorrow! Christine and Lilly will talk about Celtic Christianity, as Lilly has the opportunity to attend a retreat with John Philip Newell! Join Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin on Wednesday, February 23rd 2022 at 9 am PT (check my timezone) for our next FB Live happening on our Godspace Light Community Facebook Group! Can’t make it? No worries–we upload the sessions on our youtube channel so you can still enjoy the lively discussions and interesting topics. And catch us live for the next session–happening here!
Last Wednesday, I facilitated the last of a book study series I’d been leading on The Gift of Wonder. Each participant brought some slices of apple and a small amount of honey to dip them in. We ate them as we talked about the sweetness that we gained from community interaction through the sessions. For all of us, wonder brightened our winter days and strengthened our spirits as we moved forward towards the spring.
What astonished me was how much I enjoyed these apple slices. And the honey, which came from a good friend who keeps bees, was the most delicious I have ever tasted. This must be like the wild honey that John the Baptist ate during his sojourn in the desert, I thought. Maybe Jesus ate it too.
If you remember, John the Baptist lived and preached in the desert and survived on locusts and honey – apparently a common diet for desert wanderers and hermits. It may sound gross to us, but locusts are considered a delicacy in some cultures. Evidently, they are quite nutritious, full of protein, and when combined with honey, considered to be the food of the Gods. Simple but delicious food, just like the manna that God gifted to the Hebrews in the desert.
We are heading into the wilderness of Lent, a place we need to retreat to regularly so that we learn to follow God more fully. Some of us feel we have lived in a perpetual wilderness for the last 2 years. We think of a wilderness experience as a time of austerity, and in some ways it is, but we also need to recognize that in the wilderness God provides delicious food, sweet and nutritious.
Once I took my first bite of those apples and honey on Wednesday night I couldn’t stop until the plate was empty. They really were delicious and nourishing just like the food – both spiritual and physical – God sustained most of us with over the last couple of years. In the midst of heartache and distress there was much beauty to be uncovered we just need to pause, beautify our gaze, and take notice of what is all around us.
In preparation for our Lenten retreat: Finding Beauty in the Ashes of Lent on Saturday, I have been re-reading John O’Donohue’s book Beauty. Talk about sweet sustenance for my soul and so much wisdom that helps me understand the fruit of the journey we have been on. I will talk more about this on Saturday, so make sure you sign up but here are just a couple of his insights to end with. Good preparation for Saturday, and as you reflect on the quotes ask yourself:
What is the sweet but nourishing food God provided you with? What luminescence of beauty was uncovered for you as a result?
If our style of looking becomes beautiful, then beauty will become visible and shine forth for us…. When we beautify our gaze, the grace of hidden beauty becomes our joy and our sanctuary. (Beauty, 19)
When beauty touches our lives, the moment becomes luminous. Theses grace-moments are gifts that surprise us. When we look beyond the moment to our life journey, perhaps we can choose a new rhythm of journeying which would be more conscious of beauty and more open to inviting her to disclose herself to us in all the situations we travel through (Beauty, 23)
Greed for destination obliterates the journey. The digital desire for the single instant schools the mind in false priority. Each instant proclaims its own authority and the present image demands the complete attention of the eye….. The mechanics of electronic imaging reverses the incarnation of real encounter. But a great journey needs plenty of time. It should not be rushed; if it is, your life becomes a kind of abstract package tour devoid of beauty and meaning. There is such constant whirr of movement that you never know where you are. You have no time to give yourself to the present experience. When you accumulate experiences at such a tempo everything becomes thin. Consequently, you become ever more absent from your life and this fosters emptiness that haunts the heart (Beauty, 27)
When you regain a sense of your life as a journey of discovery you return to rhythm with yourself. When you take the time to travel with reverence, a richer like unfolds before you. Moments of beauty begin to braid your days. When your mind becomes more acquainted with reverence, the light, grace, and elegance of beauty find you more frequently (Beauty, 28)
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It’s not too late! Just a few days left to sign up for THIS Saturday’s Lenten retreat! Join Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin as we learn to lay down our grief and gather our joys through the journey of Lent. This retreat will be LIVE via zoom from 9:30 am PT to 12:30 pm PT. Click here for more details or to sign up!
A contemplative service with music in the spirit of Taize. Carrie Grace Littauer, prayer leader, with music by Kester Limner and Andy Myers.
Permission to podcast/stream the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-710-756 with additional notes below:
“Even In Sorrow”
Composed by Kester Limner in March 2020 for the people of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Seattle, shared under the Creative Commons License, Attribution (CC-BY)
“Nothing Can Ever”,”Atme In Uns”,”God is Forgiveness”
Copyright and all rights reserved by GIA/Les Presses de Taizé
Thank you for praying with us! www.saintandrewsseattle.org
by June Friesen
Love your pet – one may respond I love my pet every day so why do I need a day to remind me to do it? Sometimes maybe it is just a time to remind us how much we would miss not having a pet close by, one that loves us unconditionally. As I think of animals, whether they are pets or not I am reminded that God created them. When God created them ‘He said, “It is good.”
God spoke: “Swarm, Ocean, with fish and all sea life!
Birds, fly through the sky over Earth!”
God created the huge whales, all the swarm of life in the waters,
And every kind and species of flying birds.
God saw that it was good.
God blessed them: “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill Ocean!
Birds, reproduce on Earth!”
It was evening, it was morning—24-25 God spoke: “Earth, generate life! Every sort and kind:
cattle and reptiles and wild animals—all kinds.”
And there it was: wild animals of every kind,
Cattle of all kinds, every sort of reptile and bug.
God saw that it was good.
If we read on in this chapter, God also told Adam and Eve after He created them that they were to care for the animals. God continued to show His care for animals in the story of Noah and the ark because God did not just put Noah and his family in the ark; no, He told Noah to take two of every animal, a male and female (Genesis 6 – 9). When I look at these verses I see that not only did God create the animals, He also cared enough for them to preserve their species when He covered the earth with floodwaters. One may ask, why did God create animals in the first place? And another question that may surface is the one that involves God requiring animals to be sacrificed because of the wrong choices that people made (but that is for another day).
In Matthew 12 Jesus confronted the religious leaders about their criticism of Him by challenging them with these words about a lamb: “He replied, “Is there a person here who, finding one of your lambs fallen into a ravine, wouldn’t, even though it was a Sabbath, pull it out? Surely kindness to people is as legal as kindness to animals!” Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out and it was healed. The Pharisees walked out furious, sputtering about how they were going to ruin Jesus.” Another time Jesus commented on the dog(s) that came to lick the sore of the beggar who was sick.
As I grew up being a pet lover, always having dogs, as the first photo shows – I soon learned as a little child how a dog was loving and caring at all times. When I felt sad, I remember going and laying down with my dog, in fact, we had a golden lab named Brownie, who was like a caregiver for me in some respects. If I was outside on the farm and wandered off she always was with me. All my father had to do was call her, and when she came, he said, “Where is June?” and off she would go and lead him to wherever I was.
The recent pets in our lives have been Czech Shepherds. Abigail and Rusty were our first two and below you will see Sasha who is our current shepherd. Since we live in a townhouse with no yard, she gets three walks each day and a total of anywhere to 2.5 – 4 miles in total. She is one who makes sure she gets loved ‘every day’ and not just on National Love Your Pet Day. At times I find myself thinking that during my lifetime the loyalty and concern of the dogs I/we have had is indeed a real reminder of how much God cares for each one of us. Here is a neat aside: Dog spelled backward is God.
There are other pets that people have – many people have cats and they are furry and friendly too. Here is one of my friend’s cats who definitely is loved as well. Cats have a special way that God has gifted them to say they are happy with us – we usually call it purring. It is definitely a gentle and possibly even a calming sound they share as they snuggle close and receive those precious pats and caressing.
I would like to close today by sharing about another pet that graced our home for about 3 years. This is Angel. And yes, Angel is a bird.
My husband was just returning home from a doctor’s appointment. He had already called me and told me that the news of the biopsy was cancer, however it was in the very early stage. As he pulled up in his parking space outside our townhouse and opened his car door, there at his feet was this very bird. He bent down and the bird let him pick him up without flying away or fighting him. He brought him into the house and I am like, “What am I going to do with him? I do not have a cage.” I found a small box, poked some holes in it, and put him inside. And then I took my son and we went to the pet store to get this bird a home. Our son picked out some toys, saying we should give him special things to have in his little cage. We came home and I prepared his little home with goodies, water, and toys. My husband named him, ‘Angel.’ We shared this story with many as they visitied us over the next 2 -3 years. Angel blessed our home with his presence, singing at times and at other times, just a quiet presence. Because he was very active it was hard to clean his cage. One day, a few months ago, he managed to get out of the cage as I was cleaning it and away he flew. I was so sad. And when I told my husband what happened he was sad as well. And then God dropped a thought into my spirit and I said to my husband, “Do you think Angel knew that you recently were told that your blood work showed that there was no longer any sign of cancer, that the treatment was very effective? Do you think that he thought his job at our house was finished and he needed to go on his next mission of mercy?” And so it was that I began to pray for whoever found our ‘Angel’ and that he too will indeed be an ‘Angel’ for them.
And so I encourage each one of you, whether you have a pet or not, to thank God today for the gift of animals in our lives. Some of them serve very special purposes in our lives especially those that serve as service dogs. And yes, I believe that God would also encourage us to pray for the animals around us and again especially those that provide care as well as therapy for people of all ages.
As I close today I share with you one of my writings of a few years (2014) back called a Garden of Love.
A GARDEN OF LOVE
I believe that God has created a garden of love for all,
And in that garden there is a special place for all of our loving faithful pets
To romp and to play forever and aye.
How could they ever deserve anything but the best for their example to us of God’s faithfulness to the end.
I believe that when God created the world way back when He knew that He would need a special garden just designed for human’s very faithful friends, their pets…
And so it has trees and treats, balls and frisbees,
Lost of soft green grass in which to roll and rest.
And when their faithful journey on earth is finished they find their place in the Garden of Love –
The reward of showing humankind the unconditional love like God has for us all.
Photo of cat used with permission of Gina Pollard; all other photos and writing by June Friesen. Scripture is from The Message translation.
Christine and Lilly will talk about Celtic Christianity, as Lilly has the opportunity to attend a retreat with John Philip Newell! Join Christine Sine and Lilly Lewin on Wednesday, February 23rd 2022 at 9 am PT (check my timezone) for our next FB Live happening on our Godspace Light Community Facebook Group! Can’t make it? No worries–we upload the sessions on our youtube channel so you can still enjoy the lively discussions and interesting topics. And catch us live for the next session–happening here!
What symbol of rebirth or resurrection do you need in your life these days? As we approach year three of the global pandemic, maybe you are like me and are feeling the need for new life and a new way through!
During my time at the Abbey of Gethsemani last week, I found a sketch of a phoenix that I drew sometime in 2021. I actually don’t remember when I drew it or what I was thinking about or listening to at the time, but the discovery of this drawing was just what Jesus wanted me to find and use during my time of silence at the Abbey. I needed a visual reminder of resurrection and rebirth! Through this drawing, Jesus was giving me hope that new life and new things were happening in me! Resurrection was/is possible!
The Phoenix is a mythical bird most recently made famous in the Harry Potter series. The Phoenix builds its nest, burns up and then a new Phoenix rises from the ashes. The Phoenix is a vivid symbol of resurrection in Christianity
Maybe you too need the words of Isaiah 61
The Spirit of God, the Master, is on me
because God anointed me.
He sent me to preach good news to the poor,
heal the heartbroken,
Announce freedom to all captives,
pardon all prisoners.
God sent me to announce the year of his grace—
a celebration of God’s destruction of our enemies—
and to comfort all who mourn,
To care for the needs of all who mourn in Zion,
give them bouquets of roses instead of ashes,
Messages of joy instead of news of doom,
a praising heart instead of a languid spirit.
Rename them “Oaks of Righteousness”
planted by God to display his glory.
They’ll rebuild the old ruins,
raise a new city out of the wreckage.
They’ll start over on the ruined cities,
take the rubble left behind and make it new.
Rising from the Ashes…we can all use some bouquets instead of Ashes…
What does rising from the Ashes look like for you? Talk to Jesus about this.
Consider the people in the Bible who rose from the Ashes to a renewed life and a new purpose … people like Joseph, Moses, Peter…
Who else? What can we learn from them about how God renews all things?
We need some help to rise… Rising from the Ashes
THE DEATH OF A DREAM OR FEELING LOST…A great book to help us rise from the ashes of the last few years is SAY YES: Discover the Surprising Life Beyond the Death of a Dream. Scott Erickson is a good friend, spiritual director, and a wonderful artist who inspires me daily on Instagram. @scotthepainter
Here’s my Amazon review: “As someone who easily puts all losses into the “failure box, ” I needed this book! Especially after the last two years of the pandemic! Scott Erickson gives us a visual road map out of fear, anxiety and the stuckness of giving up! It is an honest book, filled with stories that bring hope as Scott understands the brokenness of life. As a creative and visual learner, I am looking for people who can bring their ideas to life. As a person of faith, I am in need of storytellers who inspire me to go deeper and impact my real life and all its craziness.”
THE SIN OF RACISM One of the books that is helping me rise from the ashes of racism is Subversive Witness by Dominique Dubois Gilliard. What does the Bible say about our privilege and how we can use it to change our world? I really needed this book to give me hope and give me a different perspective beyond the noise of the media.
Another voice I need in my life right now to help clear out the ashes is Lisa Sharon Harper. I’ve followed her on Instagram for years and know of her work, but sadly haven’t read her book The Very Good Gospel: How Everything Wrong can be Made Right Again. I just ordered it and her new book too: Fortune: How Race Broke My Family and the World–and How to Repair It All that launched February 8th.
We all need help finding the Shalom of God again! Here is a taste !
Lent begins on March 2nd this year. How can we see our Lenten journey as a resurrection from the ashes? What do you and I need to help us receive the words in Isaiah 61…
To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
We’d love you to join us SATURDAY, FEB. 26th for our Lenten Retreat “FINDING BEAUTY in the ASHES of LENT” to start your Lenten Journey. We will record it so you can participate later if you are already booked on that day.
SIGN UP NOW! 
©lillylewin and freerangeworship.com
words and photos by June Friesen
Random Acts of Kindness is a term that I am sure many if not all of us have heard one time or another. You may even have said it yourself. You may have done or performed actions that are or have been random acts of kindness without even thinking of them as that at the time. If you are like me I do not ever remember hearing about a day set aside to do random acts of kindness. I decided to do a little research and discovered that it was created in Denver, Colorado in 1995 by a nonprofit organization with the name Random Acts of Kindness Foundation. This group was organized to bring more awareness through doing things for others without expecting any return. They have a website as well as a Facebook page where they explain their organization and work projects, they have participated in over the years.
I did some research on kindness as well and there are some quotes from people that I was more familiar with than others. I have always been one who liked AESOP and I certainly believe what he is quoted as saying:
AESOP: “NO ACT OF KINDNESS, NO MATTER HOW SMALL, IS EVER WASTED.”
A second quote I found was by the DALAI LAMA:
“BE KIND WHENEVER POSSIBLE. IT IS ALWAYS POSSIBLE.”
The Scriptures also talk about kindness. Jesus led by His example and practiced kindness to anyone and everyone that He met. This led to trouble with the religious leaders as Jesus also practiced kind acts on the Sabbath and they considered that work – and work was never to be done on the Sabbath. In Matthew 12 we have the record of Jesus healing on the Sabbath – He also did it in the place of worship of the Jewish people:
9-10 When Jesus left the field, he entered their meeting place. There was a man there with a crippled hand. They said to Jesus, “Is it legal to heal on the Sabbath?” They were baiting him. 11-14 He replied, “Is there a person here who, finding one of your lambs fallen into a ravine, wouldn’t, even though it was a Sabbath, pull it out? Surely kindness to people is as legal as kindness to animals!” Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.” He held it out and it was healed.
The religious leaders were all about this being actual work; never mind that it was done in their place of worship where they had very detailed rules that needed to be kept.
Ultimately the greatest act of kindness Jesus did was when He died on the cross for the sins of all humanity. Jesus, God’s Son showed ultimate, perfect kindness to humanity after the disobedience of Adam and Eve which affected the whole of the earth’s population.
If we follow the stories about Jesus that are recorded in the Scriptures, I believe that there are numerous ‘random acts of kindness’ shown on a regular basis as He was traveling from place to place and ministering to hundreds/thousands of people. Jesus also told His disciples that they were to do as He did as well, especially as He left this earth.
So we move on in the Scriptures and Paul writes about kindness from time to time. The verse that I learned as a very young child was in Ephesians 4:32 – ‘Be gentle with one another, sensitive. Forgive one another as quickly and thoroughly as God in Christ forgave you.’(The Message). Here it says ‘be gentle’ but when I memorized it many years ago the words I memorized were ‘be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another.’ (King James Version) ‘Be gentle’ to me seems to be filled with a peaceful, loving sentiment. So, what are some ways we can practice kindness today?
Over the years some of the random kind things I have done have been: Drop a note in the mail to someone who is lonely, sick, or maybe for no specific reason at all – you were just thinking of them. If you have flowers in your yard pick one and put it in a small container and take it to your neighbor (either set it by the door and ring the doorbell or give it to them in person), take someone a pot of soup (especially elderly people who live alone), invite some elderly widows/widowers over for a meal. Reach out to a neighbor you may not have seen for a while – recently this happened to me and it was over a week and when I saw her, she had been laid up with a foot issue. These are just a few ideas and there are so many more. The thought here is to make sure that others know that they matter, that they are important and someone really does care about them, someone notices they are alone, elderly, missing from their usual spot/space etc. As followers of Jesus, He would and will be pleased as He sees each one of us being His hands, His feet, His eyes, His ears, His voice, etc. in the world today, especially at this time when the world seems so broken down due to so many issues people everywhere are facing.
RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS
I see that lonely face with eyes so forlorn –
I stop, I smile, I ask if there is any way I can help;
I hear the weeping, the sobbing
I stop, I offer a tissue, I ask if I can help in any way;
I observe a yard that appears with an overgrown lawn and weeds tall –
I stop, I ask if I may mow their grass and clean the plant beds;
I see a notice that there is a shut-in who is feeling very lonely and forsaken –
It has an address: I chose to send a beautiful card (and if I can afford it, a gift card);
I pass by someone whose eyes catch mine –
I offer a smile and a hello –
If they respond in conversation – I stop and chat a while;
I think of a past friend/neighbor I have not been in contact for a while –
I reach out and let them know I am thinking of them.
Yes,
Offering a smile,
Offering a hello and taking a minute or two to chat,
Offering to help someone in need whether because of illness, age, or maybe even a local disaster,
Offering to cook meals for a new mother,
Offering to babysit a young mother’s children for free so she can treat herself to a spa day or a date with her spouse,
Offering to call and listen once a week to someone who is shut-in for one reason or another,
Offering is the key to ‘doing random acts of kindness’ –
And when one lives in kindness towards others you will find that the abundance of blessings you will experience yourself will bring hope to your spirit to continue to do more.
Have an awesome time celebrating this day and it is my prayer it will bring you so much joy that you will begin to practice ‘random acts of kindness’ every day and bless the world around you with God’s presence of love.
Looking for some inspiration? Consider one of our courses! Most offer 180 days of access, perfect for working through a virtual retreat at your own pace. You can find them all right here! And did you know? We offer discounts if you have purchased a course or virtual retreat from us before or are buying for a group. Email us before check-out for the code!
by Donna Chacko
The last few years have left me feeling deeply distressed about the many divisions in our country and confused about my role. I’ve wondered if this is how folks felt during other times of social and political upheaval—like before the civil war or leading up to World War II. I was deeply moved several years ago when I read The Cost of Discipleship. Author Dietrich Bonhoeffer vividly describes the unbearable angst of many Germans as they faced the moral dilemma of choosing sides.
Rather than taking a strong public stance on the various issues over which we are divided in the US, I’ve tried to listen, understand, and encourage others to do the same. Every day I encounter conflicting views regarding Covid-19, government policies, politics, justice, and morality. My unease arises from feeling uncertain if I am following God’s will. I ask myself if I lack courage to do more. I ponder how and why good people and followers of Jesus stand firmly on both sides of the issues? Is this paradox the result of disinformation that leads to false conclusions? Are we unable to accept the truth or even know what it is? Is mass psychosis the problem, when a large group of people becomes convinced of a truth and reinforces it within the group until it is irrefutable? Or, maybe too much information is suffocating us, and we simply cannot think clearly.
Regarding Covid-19, each side of the vaccination debate has proponents who feel the other side is deluded, selfish, or even evil. I am vaccinated and support vaccinations, but I must share that I deeply love and respect two people who have chosen to remain unvaccinated. These relationships have altered my reactions to others who are unvaccinated and helped me to be less judgmental.
In this era of division, fear, and even hatred, what does Jesus want us to do? In scripture we are called to love our neighbor as ourselves and forgive seven times seventy. But how do we do this when we are so confused that we feel disoriented or so hurting that we are immobilized? I was stirred by these powerful words of Desmond Tutu:
“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”
But I see good people on both sides—people trying to do what they are convinced is the right thing. It seems that choosing the right side isn’t always easy.
Based on my absolute trust in my loving God, here is what I will do in order to be sure I’m always on the right side, the side of Jesus.
- First, I will accept, and remind myself every day, that I am only in charge of my own thoughts, words, and behavior.
- Second, I will listen more attentively to God’s voice and recommit to trust him unconditionally. I realize that only then can I surrender to him all my confusion and doubts.
- Third, I will obey his call to a period of prayer and fasting by observing a more serious Lent than I usually do. My observance will consist of a reenergized version of my usual spiritual practices along with a first-time commitment to fasting.
Fasting has never been my thing. It usually gives me a headache, so I long ago concluded God didn’t want me to fast. But two months ago I made a new friend, Ginny, at church. She mentioned that her husband, Jay W. Richards, had written a book on fasting called Eat, Fast, Feast: Heal Your Body While Feeding Your Soul-A Christian Guide to Fasting. I just finished reading this unique and information-packed book. It reminded me of the benefits of fasting, gave me different ideas on how to fast, and convinced me I should begin a fasting practice for Lent. God probably had this all planned when he arranged for me to meet Ginny at church.
In the bible, Jesus healed people and performed miracles. In 2022 he needs us to be his healing instruments so together we can heal our nation. Every morning when I say the Prayer of St. Francis, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace..,” I remind myself that I must make myself available to be used by God as his instrument.” I believe a faithful Lenten observance will help each of us be a better instrument of God’s healing power.
Imagine this Easter if every Christian in the US was able to embrace every other Christian as members of the same Body of Christ and as brothers and sisters in Christ? Imagine how this would narrow the divide in the US— there would be less space between us for hate and bigotry to grow.
I invite you to join me this Lent. Let us open ourselves fully to Jesus and his healing touch. I plan to add periodic comments to this blog during Lent to describe my experiences, especially with fasting.
Do you feel the confusion and angst that I have described? Do you observe Lent or practice fasts? I would love to hear from you, and I think the other readers will as well.
God bless each of you.
Photo by CongerDesign on Pixabay
Donna is a retired medical doctor and author of Amazon bestseller Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey. She lives in Maryland where she promotes health and faith through her ministry serenityandhealth.com
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