A season of preparation!

Lent is a time of preparation, a time of contemplation, a time of reflection.  There is always lots of discussion by folks related to what they are giving up for Lent.  We don’t usually hear much talk about what is being given up for Jesus, or given up to make time for God, or given up to increase our awareness of God.  So much of the conversational mention of Lent is centered on what one has the “strength” to do without for roughly 40 days.

Yet, Lent is a time of preparation, a time of contemplation, a time of reflection,  it is intended to be a time of entering into Christ in such a way that we can gloriously celebrate Easter.  We prepare so we might celebrate with a deep understanding that our very lives depend on the victory of Easter, or rather on the Victor in Easter.

Some of our friends are going to celebrate Easter in heaven this year, and then for all eternity.  We celebrate their lives with joy, knowing they now fully understand Love and his victory.  We long for that knowing.  We pause to prepare, to contemplate, and to reflect.

We also smile and talk with Hope, asking that these friends have a chance to meet one another during worship around his throne.  We get excited thinking that Don would really enjoy talking with Joseph.  Don sacrificed resources so we could work with our dear Kenyan friend, Joseph, in connecting Kenyans to Jesus.  We are confident Patsy would delight in conversations with Peter and other former students of ours.  Oh, so many fun thoughts during contemplation of our Victor and his preparation of heaven.

This Lent we pause to prepare, to contemplate, and to reflect.  We long for the knowing God intends us to experience!