Our Lenten journey has begun!
In these uncertain times, in this uncertain world, we are venturing into the vast territory of the spirit within.
Because I am a practical person I seem to work best at understanding complex matters by applying them metaphorically. For me, Lent is like spring housecleaning. When the time of year arrives that it is acceptable to open the windows and allow the stale air of winter to escape the confines of my home I begin to get the urge to dig into the closets and drawers that have hidden those things I have had tucked away.
This project seems to begin with a bit of a sense of foreboding, I know that there will be a much bigger mess before it gets better. I also know I will have to find a place for all of those things that I have either outgrown or chosen not to need any more. But, courageously I embark on this somewhat daunting task.
From the creak of the first closet to the final touch of the vacuum I am energized by the task of beginning anew. When I begin pulling things off of the shelves I discover those things that had previously gotten the toss. Sometime they got the toss to the back of the closet or drawer because I was hurrying to clean things up for company and didn’t want them to see what a messy person I can be. Sometimes they got the toss because they were irrelevant. Whatever the reason they ended up there, I once again was forced to deal with them.
Often I run across things that bring back pleasant memories and I wonder why I had put them there in the first place and the reunion is one that sparks a new idea or at the very least puts a smile on my face. Sometimes, I find something that makes me sad or makes me feel ashamed of how I had treated that particular item; whatever I run into in this journey I am forced to look at, evaluate its necessity and then I am forced to make the decision as to what place in my life it will now have.
Sadly, some of those things that I take out and look at just find another place where they will be setting, unattended and doing nothing more than taking up space until next year’s cleaning spree.
In our spiritual journey through Lent we are asked to do something very similar to cleaning house. We are called to bravely open the closets of our souls and thoughtfully take out each item and examine it for usefulness, for fruitfulness and purpose. Then we are called to examine it under the lens of scripture and how it does or does not affect our relationships, both with God and our neighbor.
As in our spiritual journey, the first step in spring cleaning is admitting things are in need of attention. Once we do that in our spiritual journey we can safely admit that we have been tossing things in the back of our spiritual closets all year without guilt, but with a sense of purpose.
I doubt very much Jesus really wanted to spend 40 days in the desert without food or company, but he did it because he knew it was what was needed for him to move forward in his ministry. He knew he needed to rely solely on God to fulfill his needs. I suspect he figured he would be tempted for his strength during his weakest times; just as you and I often are.
How many of us are tempted to give into our insatiable wants—justify it by saying we need this or that (which eventually just sits in the closet until we clean and find it once again)? How many of us believe that God will take the stones of desire and turn them into the bread of need?
How many of us are tempted by the thought of power and authority; seeking to make our selves known and admired at the expense of glory for God! How do we choose to serve God? Do we offer our gifts for God’s glory or our own? Do we hope for recognition or renewal of God’s church? When I clean my closets I often discover what is important to me and it shows. Am I more interested in being known for the things that I own, or for being known by the things that I stand for?
How many times have I tempted God to prove God’s power and authority? How many prayers have I said that challenged God to prove God’s self? Do I not fully trust that God does that continually; I am just not noticing it?
Our journey is full of similar situations that Jesus was subjected to in the desert and we are generally approached and tempted during those times when we are most vulnerable. This season of Lent is a good time for us to pull out those experiences and examine how we dealt with them. It is our annual spiritual housecleaning. So get out your spiritual brooms and dusters, and don’t forget that long hook that you may need to dig deep within the recesses to reach those long forgotten items. May God bless your journey and then the new beginning you will experience come Easter morning will energize you for the work God has for you in the future.
In humble service,
Mother Sue +
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Dec 2006 Extreme Makeover by Christ