“For some Christians, Lent has always been a part of their spiritual life, but for others it is unfamiliar. Lent is a season leading up to Easter, a time when Christians have historically prepared their hearts for Easter with reflection, repentance, and prayer. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and proceeds for forty days, excluding Sundays, and culminating with Good Friday and Holy Saturday. Since Sundays are weekly celebrations of the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays in Lent are not counted as part of the forty-day season, which focuses on introspection, self examination, and repentance. Many Christians choose to celebrate a fast throughout the season of Lent, but the focus is not on depriving themselves of something as much as it is on devoting themselves to God and his purposes in the world.”
I read this somewhere and thought it explained the season of Lent pretty well. Lent focuses on human sin and God’s gracious solution. It doesn’t focus on what you are “giving up.” Although Lent isn’t necessarily mentioned in the Bible, it is still a great season of preparation for the Lord’s resurrection.
Elijah was a prophet and during a drought he asked a widow for a drink and a bite to eat. She basically said, “You’re nuts! I’ve only got enough to make for my son and me, and then we’re going to die.” But, listen to what Elijah says:
1 Kings 17:13-16
“But Elijah said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid! Go ahead and do just what you’ve said, but make a little bread for me first. Then use what’s left to prepare a meal for yourself and your son. For this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: There will always be flour and olive oil left in your containers until the time when the LORD sends rain and the crops grow again!’
So she did as Elijah said, and she and Elijah and her son continued to eat for many days. There was always enough flour and olive oil left in the containers, just as the LORD had promised through Elijah.”
God still provides just like that. Financial income can be something that is so inconsistent, especially during a recession. But the one thing that is consistent in our lives is God. When the food in our fridge or cupboards are bare, or the money in your bank account is lower than where you’d like it to be, we have to remember that God is our ultimate provider. When He asks us to give, we must be obedient to His calling, so even when you have very little food left, He will be sure to sustain you until He sends the rain and the crops grow again.
— Joshua 1:8-9
November 1995-January 21, 2012
It amazes me how much it affected my family and myself when we had to put our beloved and faithful dog, Trico, to sleep. We’ve had this guy for seventeen years and when it was finally time to let him go, it stirred something in all of us. Having to tell the news to my siblings and hearing their voices broke my heart. Seeing my dad get teary eyed when he slowly drifted off made it all that more harder for me to watch. Knowing my mom wasn’t able to give him a proper good-bye was difficult. As much as I know Trico is no longer in any pain, that doesn’t stop the little void in my heart from hurting. As I deal with the loss of this puppy-like dog, I couldn’t help but think, “Get it together Carol! It’s a dog for goodness sake.” But that didn’t seem to make any of the sadness go away. Someone told me that it’s not the dog, but what he meant to me. Hearing that made me feel less stupid for being so down about losing Trico. As I talked more with my family, we exchanged stories and shared all the memories we had of Trico and we were reminded of all the joy and happiness he brought us by just being his playful self. Like the time he would pull me on my rollerblades, but since he would go super fast I’d let go and fall, or the time my siblings and I would take him to the park and we’d play “Monster” with him, of course he was the monster. Remembering all of these good times showed me how much we truly cared for and loved this dog. If we cared this much for something we didn’t create, imagine how much more loved Trico was by God.
“God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.” (Genesis 1:25 NIV)
Thank you, God, for blessing my family with such a great and faithful dog. Thank you for trusting us to take care of your creation. Thank you for Trico.
It’s hard to believe that God’s way is the best way to live—everyone else is fine, and they’re not even trying to obey God. So why should you?
Psalm 32:8, 10
The LORD says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
I will advise you and watch over you.”
…
Many sorrows come to the wicked,
but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the LORD.
