Well, the season of Lent has officially started.   Christians will, for the next forty days, follow Jesus through his suffering and ultimately his death.  We do this in order to truly have something to rejoice in this Easter.  Lent gives us the opportunity to do some things that we’re normally horrendous at:  grieving and remembering.

Henri Nouwen has this to say about it:

A Prayer for Lent, by Henri Nouwen

How often have I lived through these weeks without paying much attention to penance, fasting, and prayer? How often have I missed the spiritual fruits of the season without even being aware of it?  But how can I ever really celebrate Easter without observing Lent?  How can I rejoice fully in your Resurrection when I have avoided participating in your death?  Yes, Lord, I have to die – with you, through you, and in you – and thus become ready to recognize you when you appear to me in your Resurrection.  There is so much in me that needs to die: false attachments, greed and anger, impatience and stinginess…I see clearly now how little I have died with you, really gone your way and been faithful to it.  O Lord, make this Lenten season different from the other ones.  Let me find you again.  Amen.

A Cry for Mercy:  Prayers from the Genesee; Image Books, 2002

Let this season be different than others.  Perhaps you’re like me and there needs to be a lot of death in your life.  Death from pride, selfishness, fear, anger.  Ask God to peel away the layers that cloud your vision of him.  Really, ask him.  When he does (and he will), ask him to do it every day.  You and I both need it, there’s no question.

But, do we really want it?

This post is inspired by Donald Miller’s book-
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years: What I Learned While Editing My Life
You should read it, pronto.

So, what’s your story? This is something that’s asked of us quite often.  And I dare say that the answer is always pretty shallow.  “Oh you know, white middle-class family, parents divorced, didn’t party in college, yada yada yada…”  But we all know that the real story goes so much deeper.  Perhaps we feel it’s not safe to tell it.

Everyone wants to say that they have lived a good story.  I know I sure do.  But, if it’s just left up to me to write a good story, then it’s sure to be mediocre at best.  I would omit all of the very things that give life to my story.  That sets my story apart from yours, and yours from mine.  Sure, we’d have points of intersection, but the route is almost always different.

My character would not want to change.  As a matter of fact most characters, in their very nature, are that way.  Change tends to only happen when a person is forced.  My grandfather, who had smoked two cartons of cigarrettes a week for thirty-plus years quit cold-turkey, only after one lung was removed.  I’ve focused more on my relationship with my wife, after leading worship at a funeral for a guy my exact age, and married for the same amount of time.

So, remember the events– good, bad and in-between.  They are a part of your story.  These have come for a reason.    Remember that joy costs pain.  I don’t really appreciate that it’s that way, but I believe it to be true.  Our stories are uniquely part of the much larger story of God, and they have meaning and purpose when He is allowed to write a good story.  And in trusting Him to pen it out, we have to take a look at those things that tend to bring about change, no matter how good (or bad) they are.

I want to write a better story….guess I better start living it.

What would you need to respond with if you were asked the question —-

So, what’s your story?

Have any of you ever heard/said, “it just wasn’t in the cards”?

Of course, the “cards” being mentioned are circumstances in our lives. We try to work with the ones dealt to us, or the ones that we dealt ourselves. We eventually come to accept these cards as being a situation or circumstance that we are meant to be in.

I know that I’ve said it a time or two.  Or, how about “this is just the hand I’ve been dealt”? 

Spiritually, I think that we see our hand working against us more often than not.  But oh how quickly we forget who is dealing!  God is in control, and whether we’ve been deal with tough circumstances of life or consequences of our bad decisions, God will work them together.

One question I try to ask myself when I feel my circumstances have no potential for change is, “What am I grateful for?”  Most often I come up with a few things, and ultimately end with a prayer that can, on some days, be as sarcastic as it can be serious, and that’s “God, thank you for at least waking me up today.”

That gets me thinking…What about that statement, “thank you for where you have me”? Is that it?  Just being grateful for the cards that were dealt?  Or, can we choose to fold and ask for a new hand?

Either way, what are we to do with them? 

Are we just happy and thankful where we are, or are we to look deeper and see what God has in the deck?  I want to remember first and foremost that I’ve been given life and grace upon grace.

Besides…anything else is really a bonus.

2009 was an interesting year.

I’ve been grateful, depressed, angry, humbled, bitter, joyful, and everything in between it seems.  At the end of it all, however, the sense of joy and gratefulness is what stands out the most.  We’ve withstood the economic slump (thus far) while making some pretty significant decisions.

How was 2009 for you?

Some things to note for ‘09 for me would be… (more…)

I just got around to uploading some pictures from various events over the past few months, and I came across some from last month’s trip to the Grand Canyon.  It was our fourth trip since moving to Arizona over three years ago.  This was the first time we’ve been when the shadows were heavily cast….beautiful.  I sat on the edge of the rim for a while, looking out at the shear size of the canyon.  The GC reminds me of two things every time I go:  (1) God is huge, and (2) I am small.  It’s funny, because usually in my life I change that list around.  I’m a huge deal and I make God small enough for me to understand.

Read more, por favor… (more…)