Lent Reflection #1
Lent is the period of 40 days from Ash Wednesday to Holy Saturday, it is a reflection of Jesus time spent wandering in the desert.
For us though, it has been traditionally about abstaining from something we take pleasure in for 40 days- but maybe we can also see Lent as a chance to start a new challenge.
Giving can make us feel very good, especially when it is something that we have taken the time to find for someone we love. For me there is nothing more satisfying than seeing someone’s face light up as they unwrap their present
Maybe God sees giving in a similar way. The bible says this about giving:
17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. – Colossians 3:17 (New International Version)
7 If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tight-fisted toward your poor brother. -Deuteronomy 15:7 (New International Version).
There are many gifts that we can give back to God; we can give our time, our energy, our money. Our time is probably the most precious gift that we have, especially these days with our 24/7 lives.
I am by nature quite shy and like time to myself, especially when I have had to be in a large social gathering. On one occasion, I had been spending the afternoon with a couple of friends and they were about to leave -and I was looking forward to having the rest of the evening to myself!
The phone rang and a friend called in tears asking if we could meet, so I put ‘my time’ on hold and agreed to meet up.
As we chatted we began to pray. And as we prayed I was humbled by the moment – about how selfish I had been, and I believe that this is one of the ways that God invites us to give up our precious time for.
So during this period of Lent how are we going to use our time?
Maybe we could give some time to prayer, mediation and seeking Gods Guidance and strength, maybe we could make some time to visit relatives, friends or neighbours? Or maybe we can do the simplest things, which is to spend time with them and to simply be a listening ear.
Maybe we can reflect on the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and maybe for these next forty days we can remember who He is, and be an example of the “giving” Jesus in our work places, schools, and homes.
