Lent by Suprise
Some years I try to be intentional about Lent and Holy week. I work at being clay in God's hands. Sometimes this "intention-ality" is productive. But I have to admit, most times, I am just left empty after putting effort into Lent. I don't know why, but it just happens. Probably has something to do with my approach.
This year, I had NO plan to be intentional about the whole thing. Things are busy at work and with other activities. But I was surprised this year by God.
Event 1: I attended just one lenten Wed. service. The speaker was a Stillwater father who lost his son in a mountain climbing accident. Jon, the son, was a youth director and was suppose to attend Luther Seminary in St. Paul the next fall. The dad could not make sense of why God would not have intervened in his son's death. And as he went through some of his son's college papers, he found a quote by Jon, "I will live the questioning path." This is not a new idea to me, but for some reason, I needed the reminder.
Event 2: Just two weeks ago, a teacher came up to me and said, "Kelly, I am going way out of my comfort zone. I am asking some of the pray-ers in our building to meet one morning per week to pray for our school." She heard the idea on KTIS one morning, and so did I! I wondered if someone in our school would ever start something like that, and sure enough someone did.
Event 3: This week my district's retired curriculum director died from a short battle with cancer. He just retired last spring. I didn't know him extremely well, compared to many others in the district, but his death during holy week caused me to pause. He was an incredible man of faith and was sending the staff weekly emails about God's comfort and peace. His last email came on Monday, and he died on Wednesday. He and I had a shared experience last year at the community Good Friday service. I had one of those moments where I was really grateful to recognize I work along side colleagues who desire the heart of God.
And today is Good Friday. Service tonight at 7:00. I am not going to work hard. I am just going to BE.
This year, I had NO plan to be intentional about the whole thing. Things are busy at work and with other activities. But I was surprised this year by God.
Event 1: I attended just one lenten Wed. service. The speaker was a Stillwater father who lost his son in a mountain climbing accident. Jon, the son, was a youth director and was suppose to attend Luther Seminary in St. Paul the next fall. The dad could not make sense of why God would not have intervened in his son's death. And as he went through some of his son's college papers, he found a quote by Jon, "I will live the questioning path." This is not a new idea to me, but for some reason, I needed the reminder.
Event 2: Just two weeks ago, a teacher came up to me and said, "Kelly, I am going way out of my comfort zone. I am asking some of the pray-ers in our building to meet one morning per week to pray for our school." She heard the idea on KTIS one morning, and so did I! I wondered if someone in our school would ever start something like that, and sure enough someone did.
Event 3: This week my district's retired curriculum director died from a short battle with cancer. He just retired last spring. I didn't know him extremely well, compared to many others in the district, but his death during holy week caused me to pause. He was an incredible man of faith and was sending the staff weekly emails about God's comfort and peace. His last email came on Monday, and he died on Wednesday. He and I had a shared experience last year at the community Good Friday service. I had one of those moments where I was really grateful to recognize I work along side colleagues who desire the heart of God.
And today is Good Friday. Service tonight at 7:00. I am not going to work hard. I am just going to BE.
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