Lean Into Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday.  It is the day we remember our mortality.  The ashes upon one's brow are a reminder of our creation by God from the dust of the earth.  "From dust you come and to dust you shall return."  It is also a sign of our broken and sinful nature.  But the cross reminds us of Jesus' immortality, his nature as fully human and fully divine.  The cross is a vivid sign that Christ was willing to demonstrate God's perfect love for us by dying a painful, human death on the cross.  Even though he was without sin, he took on all of our sins in order that we might know grace.  It is a profound day when one stops to think on it.  And the rest of the days between now and Easter morning are opportunities to reflect on our own human nature, or own faithfulness, as we follow the journey of Christ to the cross.  Lent can be considered dark.  It is also considered a season of fasting, a season of giving up.  In recent years some have decided that it should be a season of additions rather than subtractions.  So instead of giving up chocolate we choose to take on a spiritual practice such as daily meditation.

The last four months have been a journey for me toward more healthy living; body, mind, and soul.  This has required all manner of changes which I will not bore you with, but suffice to say, I have come through the tunnel and I am basking in the glow of warm light on the other side.  I thought that it might be interesting for this season of Lent to follow some writing prompts I found online and share them daily with you.   This is a spiritual practice for me--the joy that comes from creating.   So these questions and responses may not pertain directly to Lent every day....but I hope it will provide cause for you to pause along with me and answer the questions for yourself.  That you might, as Ash Wednesday nudges us, consider your humanity and what it is that makes you a healthy human being that is living into God's call on your life in the best way possible.

Today's Question:  What is your word of the year?

I actually do have a word of the year, it is love.  Love of God. Love of neighbor. Love of spouse. Love of family. Love of friends. Most of all, love of self. 

1 John 4:7 says,  "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God; everyone who loves is born of God and knows God."

We are loved by our creator!  Through our creation, through our redemption and salvation in Christ God's love is found.  It is breathed into us through the Holy Spirit.  We are told that our greatest commandment it to love God and love our neighbor as ourselves.

This.  This is what I am striving for.  How do I actually love myself?  How do I show myself love?  What I am discovering is that by showing myself love through dedicated time with God, caring for my body through healthy eating and exercise habits, and being mindful of my own emotions and situations....I am more free to love others!  Do you know why?  Because I am happy.  Truly, I turned to my spouse today and said, "I'm really happy."  All because I chose to love myself.  All because I chose to make a conscious effort to live to my own standards rather than allow myself the pressures of the world to take over, or to rely on someone else's affirmation to make me happy.   It is a challenge every day.

Just because you love your partner, or your child, or your job does not mean you have to pour every ounce of yourself into demonstrating your love at the expense of your own well-being.  It is an incomplete picture if you are not being attentive to your own needs, dreams, body, mind, and soul.

I can show my love better to those around me because I am traveling through a journey of healing.  The first way I showed my love to my family and to my dear friends, was in trusting them with the difficulties I was facing.  Guilt and shame are terrible afflictions...but they cannot survive if you share your story, because compassion washes them away.  (Thank you Brene Brown).  My husband, my son, my family, and my friends have been my cheerleaders every step of the way.  They are reminding me and showing me the love that I was scared to give myself and too overwhelmed to ask for.

So, as I lean into lent, I am also leaning into love.  I am trusting that God is love.  God is grace.  God is at work in and through our lives and God has a perfect purpose for me.  I am made of dust.  To dust I shall return.  I was fashioned out of dirt and holy breath; created, sustained, and redeemed. 

What is your word this year?