Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Beginning of the End, of the Beginning!

Wait….What? Does this statement confuse you? It confuses me, until I put it into context. Today marks the beginning of Lent. The beginning of the last days Jesus walked among us. The end of His physical life on this Earth. The beginning of a new covenant with His death, burial and resurrection.

Do you celebrate Ash Wednesday? Even though I'm not Catholic, I do observe this season. For me, it is a time of reflection, a time to be more mindful of Jesus' last days on Earth, a time to search for and find answers to questions about His life.

This year, I want to see people through God's eyes, have God's love for them, have God's heart for the forgotten. Have you heard Brandon Heath's song, "Give Me Your Eyes"? (The video is not posted here because the embedding is disabled, so you'll have to click the link to watch it.)

Starting today, This Day, that is my heart. Will you join me in this challenge?

Peace and Joy,
Susan


Joel 2:12-13 (NIV)

12 "Even now," declares the LORD,
"return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning."

13 Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the LORD your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.


7 comments:

gigi said...

I love this challenge! I will join you in it. Thanks for asking.

Penny said...

LOVE that Scripture!

Good points, too: I'm not Catholic, but I should think more about this time and the last days Jesus walked on Earth as a man. It's something to reflect on and prepare my heart for the Easter season.

Jessica said...

This is such a great challenge. I try to do this with my students. It's so hard sometimes, but it's what they need!

To answer your question, no, we're still not sure where we're going for our anniversary trip. We're on a really strict budget (thanks to Dave Ramsey :-P) so we might just end up going out to a romantic dinner instead. We'll have plenty of anniversaries later to be a little more elaborate, I guess!

Andrea said...

Beautiful words, Susan....such wonderful challenge you have set for yourself. :)

Anonymous said...

Thank you for this reminder, I'm not Catholic but what a beautiful discipline to take time every year and remember Jesus' last days on earth...
And seeing people with God's eyes is completely necessary for me, I'll join you in praying for God to help me see as He sees.
Blessings today~
Robin Rane'
All Things Heart and Home

Karen said...

Thanks for the word for today. 2009 is going to be a year to behold His glory!
Karen

Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said...

Thank you for this, Susan.