Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent. We are led into the wilderness to remember whose we are, and how we are to live as children of the Most-High God. Sometimes our pilgrimage is taken with tiny steps, afraid of what we may find in the process. Many times, our path is marked with big bold steps as we bound with excitement at our own spiritual awareness.
We remember that our journey is not one of punishment, but one of deep contemplative thinking. We come seeking to be inspired and renewed with heavenly strength. Our travel through the wilderness is one of reflection, and therefore it may be a bit more somber than what we call normal. Personal discoveries sometimes catch us unaware as we find our unique invitation to change. Healing can be something that is exciting and at times terrifying.
And so, on this day that we begin the journey to Easter, let us reflect on who we are. Where do we want to be when we celebrate the victory that we know will come at the end of this season? To get to the other side of the Lenten time, we must go into the wilderness knowing that there are things about ourselves to discover. It is up to us as to how much we will grow.
Today, I am grateful that my faith allows me to journey into rough places, so that I may be made whole. I can heal. There is power in this process of self-awareness. May this time be a sacred time for all of us as we come to the realization that God is doing something for us that we cannot do for ourselves; we are being restored to completeness.
From a Pastor's Point of View 