"Internal Change"

Lent is the forty-day holy season of repentance and renewal preceding Easter. Lent began last week on Ash Wednesday and will end on March 27 with Easter Sunday. It is a special period in the church year for meditation, prayer and penitential practices. The intent is to increase our understanding of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection.

Penitential practices have included fasting and self-denial in order to enlarge our understanding of the full meaning of Holy Week.

Joan gave up coffee creamer for Lent. By the end of the tenth day, she began to love black coffee.  She said, “That’s the year I learned that it isn’t giving up things that counts. Me? I became aware that only internal change really counts.”

Lent reminds me that falling down at Jesus’ feet is my top priority. That act of humility points me to my true identity in Christ. Then, renunciation of all substitute identities – masks, facades or contrived behavior – fall into proper perspective.

The antidote to our daily bombardment of deadlines, travel, family pressure, traffic, layoffs, addictions, aging and grief - place it all at the feet of Jesus.

II Corinthians 12:9 puts it, “My grace is sufficient for you all and my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Blessings,