Lent.. I Don’t Want to Miss This Again!

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent!

Preparation for Easter 40 days from now.. the MOST important of our Christian holidays.  Yet, so easy to overlook!

Before Christmas it seems like a switch flips for the whole world, November 1st!  All the stores fill with Christmas goodies and the streets are lined with Christmas lights. Radio stations can hardly hold themselves back until after Thanksgiving to play 24/7 carols.

Every cell of our body lives & breathes Christmas.

I wish Easter was the same way!

So many times my calendars has flipped over to Lent and I wake up 40 days later and it’s Easter!  I missed the whole thing.

Thank you to those who wrote “Ash Wednesday” on the calendar and those whose emails waited when I opened my inbox today.

Pausing, prayerfully.. this moment, I ask, “Lord how would you have me prepare during this season for Easter?”

Listen….

Sitting a few moments … eyes closed, and heart open, I remember last year.  A book dropped into my life by Sharron Brown as the direction God had for me to go. It didn’t look like a “Lent” book.. wasn’t labeled “Lent” .. but I could feel the tapping of the Holy Spirit.. so I ordered it.

A comfortingly small book.. Each day I read a few pages.. Oh how God used it to fix my eyes on Him as I walked towards Easter.   

Just now, a text from my Mom.. “Hi Lori, You’ll be getting an Amazon package from me .. Hope you enjoy it..” 
A book..  The Beatitudes and St Francis of Assisi .. my mom inviting me to join her lent study with one of my dearest spiritual giants.

Hallelujah and Amen!

I see.. this book.. and a time or 2 of reflection alone with God separate from my normal quiet time.  I see myself sitting in a church .. and outside on a bench.. to be with the Lord.. to think of all that Christ did for me and for the world.. sitting with the gospel opened in my lap and reflecting on all He is to me now.. my savior, my friend and guide.  Watching Mel Gibson’s, The Passion.  I love it and run from it. I make myself watch it every year so I can’t forget our Savior and how he loves us.

I won't miss it this year. This will be my Lent.