Living into God’s vision for our life might call us into the desert. It might call us to live a life we don’t expect for ourselves, to utilize resources within ourselves we don’t know we have; to find our way through unfamiliar terrain - geographic, metaphorical, spiritual. The desert upends our world. But the good news is that God is there, with us, in all.
This past week we entered into Lent, a season of intentional desert traversing. I like to think of Lent as a skills building time. It’s a desert that is measurable and measured: we know when it begins and when it ends, we know the rules, we know to deepen our prayer, fast, and give. We do this in community. This doesn’t mean it’s not challenging, it is. But it’s a desert that invites us to build spiritual muscles, so that when life wallops us sideways, we can get back on our feet and see, even if it’s only in distant retrospect, that God softened our fall.
Lent invites us to trust in God, fully.
Entering the desert does not mean that we took a wrong turn or made a mistake. It doesn’t mean we’re being punished. Sometimes leading the life God affirms for us can mean taking us into the desert, a place that is unfamiliar and world-turning. And as we look at Jesus’ life and consider what it means for our own, I believe there’s an invitation for us to live a life that is bold and courageous, knowing very well that it will lead us into unsettled terrain.
As we enter into Lent, may we remember that we are beloved by God. May our hearts be softened to the injustices in the world. May we hear God’s call to us to live boldly and courageously, even if this means we find our lives unsettled. And may we leave this time trusting in God, fully.
--Diana Marin
Image source: Linda Saskia Menczel, Temptation in the Wilderness, https://www.contemporaryartcuratormagazine.com/artist-of-the-future-award/linda-saskia-menczel
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