Today marks 16 days into our Lenten journey – how’s it going?
Killing it? Muscling through? Going through the motions? No matter how your Lent has begun, the first reading from Jeremiah today offers us an opportunity to recalibrate our hearts and enter into the second half of Lent completely dependant on God.
Sometimes we begin our Lenten journey ready to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and carry it like a champ. We will strive, we will use every ounce of strength we have, and we will get to the finish like Sly Stallone in “Rocky” at the top of the steps fists thrown above our heads.
We look to be perfect and we rely on our own strength and abilities to get us there. If we catch ourselves in this mindset we can end up like the barren bush in the desert, surviving, but not producing any real fruit. The good news is that we can choose another way. We can be the bush planted near the water. We can hope and trust in the Lord, we can bear fruit in all seasons, and we can have abundance even when our circumstances would make that seem impossible.
So how do we become that bush? How do we live without fear, without distress, and in that evergreen state? We spend Lent stretching our roots to that stream, the living water of Christ. We choose to nourish ourselves solely there and depend completely on Him.
What if we left striving behind and instead focused on stretching our roots, that which sustains our life, into the stream of hope and trust in God.
As we fix our eyes on the resurrection, setting out into the second half of our Lenten journeys, may we rely completely on the Lord for our strength. May we trust in Him and His mercy more deeply, and confidently hope in Him alone to lead us into the abundance of life He has prepared for those rooted in Christ.
Sarah Kaczmarek serves as the Associate National Director of Alpha Catholic. She holds a BA in English Literature, a MA in therapeutic counseling, and is currently completing a MA in Pastoral Studies in Evangelization. Prior to her post at Alpha she was the Director of Youth Ministry & Evangelization for 11 years at a church in Detroit, MI. She loves a good cup of coffee, foodie adventures, exploring the world, and passionately praying for the evangelization of the next generation.
Am inspired by the example of the tree planted near the water. Due to my ill health and problems am going through for the last few months now, I can’t concentrate in my prayers or in the church. That’s why I haven’t done any fasting in this Lent neither I do my daily prayers nor read my Bible everyday. I have faith in God but I don’t have patience to wait for the way that He is planning for me. I feel very guilty of myself for being very selfish and for keep on expecting God to help me whereas in return, am not doing anything for it. I still hope and pray that God forgive me for my weaknesses in believing Him.
Although it’s the 16th day today, I want to start my Lent time with the help of your prayers for me so that I be able to make a change in my life and be close to God and never to lose hope in Him anymore.
You have all the tools you need right where you are.Your illness is allowed you for a reason ,but that doesn’t have to stop you from offering that sacrifice of your illness to God for the salvation of souls,in patience,knowing that God always has you in the palm of His hand.He loves you right where you are.Offer up your impatience,offer up your ilness,your ambition ,offer up all and be at peace .God knows what’s in your heart .Let Him do what He wants to do with you and be at peace.I also am sick.I give Him PRAISE and thanksgiving ,because He knows what’s best for your soul.God bless you and be at peace.
pray for me to be more spiritual and humble for the rest of my life..i intend to make more sarifices for the next half of lent
Thanks for an awesome reflection. The 16th day and we feel we should have it mastered Lent by now, but only to find, we have yet to begin! Wow…but i like the idea of not giving up as the bush in the desert where it sits lacking, longing. I love the idea that each day is a new day to begin again. We must get ourselves out of the mindset that this journey we are on is just for the Lenten season. This should be our daily journey and to use Lent as a special time to stop, take inventory of our spiritual lives, enjoy the journey with others and get back on track. Love that we can begin again by just stretching ourselves out a bit more, with Gods help, and stretch our roots into the living waters! Isn’t that great. We each have a do over each and every day, we must latch onto it each day knowing that yesterday is gone and today is a new beginning.
Thanks so much for the eye opening, heart opening reflection!!! I will begin anew today!
This was an awesome article. It really hit home with me. I too have been ill the past week and a half and have neglected some of my spiritual duties. This helped me to realize that I can begin again and continue my Lenten Journey throughout the year, as I want to be of use to our God and to his glory. May I remember that each and every day. Thank you.