Another Chance (02/15/2024)

Yesterday was Ash Wednesday, as you know, and the LORD’s merciful love was very much on my mind. I spent a large portion of the day reflecting on my own journey and how many times I had begged the LORD for mercy and another chance. And then last evening, I had someone come to me and apologize. As I stood and looked at him, all I could think of was my own plea for forgiveness earlier that very day. How could I not forgive and also encourage?

Our Lent is another chance which our all loving and merciful LORD calls us to pick up and embrace. Our Lent is us making our way back, returning with new understanding and resolve. Our Lent is about us forgiving others as we beg the LORD to forgive us. Our Lent is about encouraging others along the way out of empathy and compassion. Our Lent is about picking up our own crosses and following Jesus. The Way isn’t easy, but it is oh, so blessed.

We are early into our journey, still wrestling with setting down the unnecessary so as to make more room for the essential. We need the help of the Spirit whom Jesus promised to guide us and to grace us. And we need to be honest and admit that this isn’t just a continuation of what we have been doing but another chance, a turn that leads us to return more wholly and more holy to our LORD.

We are so blessed to be the daughters and sons of a merciful LORD who gives us another chance. Let us look around ourselves and be honest about whom in our lives we need to give another chance. Let us pray about that, let us seek to put down the hurt and focus on the LORD’s mercy for us, and let us seek to open ourselves so that mercy might flow into other relationships we have.

This is the season of another chance. Will we seek it? Will we carry through on it? Will we give ourselves more fully and more lovingly to the LORD this time?

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.

Thoughts? Questions? Requests? – katewiskus@gmail.com