lent . . . . just the way it is!

this season of lent is just the way it is . . . time spent waiting and preparing for easter.  so is it any wonder that we pay more attention to things, and mark them as more significant?!

this picture to the left is from last tuesday's storm taken outside my office ... someone asked me if i rushed into the wesley hall (our social hall) to see if there was a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  no such luck, but it did get me to wondering about what one does during this season on waiting and preparing.

so i began to compile a list of things that i begin to pay attention to; perhaps they will entice you to pay particular attention to what is happening in your life and the world around you during this time.

lent is, after all, a time of inner-reflection; seeing how we ready ourselves for the gift of grace that rises in us at easter.

one of the things to pay attention to is movement.  lent happens 'in-between times'; towards the end of winter and towards the beginning of spring.  while we've been, perhaps, in doors far too much, this is the time to 'get out'.  that's why i love these pictures of rainbows.  besides a reminder of god's covenant with us about the promise of life, i would have missed this experience had i not simply walked outside.

be aware of your surroundings.  pay particular attending ... to everything and everyone!  who might god be placing at your feet, in your way, beside--before--behind you, and for what purpose?  what might you be called to learn during this time?  and for those who are wondering, yes, i am still walking!  in fact, i have met my walking goal this quarter already, and i am walking toward a goal of matching funds for the 'no more malaria' (formally referred to as 'nothing but nets project') campaign.

this is a season about getting your affairs in order; prioritize!  what do you need to be taking care of in your life?  does a relationship need attending to; is your 'house' (literally and figuratively) need attention; how are you caring for your current and future finances?  i've met a goal in the financial part of my life just this last week, and have been able to set another goal that will make a real difference in the way i am able to meet my obligations in the future.  all these things in our lives take focus and dedication; thoughtful prayer and willpower -- the positive aspects this season and the life jesus shared and demonstrated for us.  this is the season in which we learn to love, ourselves and others, more deeply.

one other aspect this season has called to to focus on is reading.  while i love movies and become so involved in them that sometimes i wonder where the time went, i become even more involved in reading.  i've been told that reading is much healthier as well; becoming engaged in reading keeps your mind active for longer periods of time, enriches one's vocabulary -- deep that google word-search handly! -- and you can learn something that may cause you to get out of yourself and make a difference in someone else's life.

for pleasure reading, i've just completed 'the count of monte christo'; i had never read it!  for centering prayer, we are reading 'the untethered soul - the journey beyond yourself' by michael a. singer; for our small group study i am diving into adam hamilton's 'the way - waling in the footsteps of jesus' which will also serve as part of my worship preparation; and for expanding my humanity, i am reading one of the books on the united methodist women's book-list,  'half the sky - turning oppression into opportunity for women worldwide' by nicholas d. kristof and sheryl wudunn -- a look at the plight of human trafficking that plagues our world today.

busy and enriching times . . . what is engaging you in these days of reflection?