It is really hard for me to grasp the fact that we are halfway through Lent. Where does the time go? After our recent parish retreat, as well as the reflecting that I’ve been doing with The Lenten Companion from Ascension Press, my mind is FULL of wonderful things to share with you.
I am guessing that each of you have your own routine for Lent, and hopefully you have been faithful to the commitments you’ve made. If not, the good news is that you still have time to pull it together.! It’s funny – as I wrote that we all ‘have [our] own routine’, I thought, “Am I STUCK in that routine? Is there room for movement and growth?”
With the materials I’ve been using and some wonderful conversations with others who wish to grow during this Lent, I’ve been trying to stay on track, as well as move out of my comfort zone. This way, it is not another case of the same old same old. This brought to mind one of the ideas shared about just settling.
What does that mean? Well, I thought of the man born blind (John 9:1-12) and the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:1-26). Did they think that this was it for their life? Could there be nothing more? Were they just settling?
With God, there is always more. We just need to ask; but do we? All those tapes in our head start playing and we back away and settle for less than we have to. This Lent, I am seeing that I can ask God for MORE: more courage, more patience, more determination, more creativity, more faithfulness in prayer, and more vision.
There is no need to settle. God is waiting for me to ask to be all that He created me for, I just need to ASK! Perhaps things won’t be on my timeline or the way I think they should be, but prayerful discernment will help me figure that out.
So, my friends, with the time that is left, DON’T SETTLE. Look to God and ask Him to give you all those things you need to grow. When you receive such gifts, don’t just look at them, OPEN them up and USE them to enrich your family, friends, parishioners, co-workers, town, even world!
You really can do it. I believe!
Till next week,
Sister T
