Joy Springs in the Desert, Too
Clearing out the veggie beds and prepping the seed trays gave me new eyes for Lent. Lent is a season of preparation, a season set aside many hundreds of years ago to parallel Jesus’ 40 days in the desert. It reminds us that fasting and renunciation* can awaken a deeper hunger for God’s presence and awareness of his love. I grew up with the altar devoid of color in Lent. Flower urns empty. Songs quieter, somber. That’s definitely a vibe.
But the desert this time of year is also awakening with blooming cacti. Lent has a sense of awakening for me this year. My soul feels like we’re heading just as much toward Resurrection Sunday as much as Good Friday.
Garden work often parallels soul work. Perhaps you might find some of this spring season inviting you to anticipate God planting and growing something new in you during Lent as well. Here are a few practical invitations to join me in setting our gaze toward Resurrection Sunday:
“Weed out” the visual and verbal overwhelm by emptying your email inbox.
Keep returning to the same, shorter passage every day from now until Easter, seeing what new life you find in it each time. Try last Sunday’s Psalm 118 or Easter’s John 20.
Awaken your sense of hope by setting a daily alarm for 10:10 (inspired by John 10:10) and praying with a smile on your face: “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.”
Here’s some joy I’ve found this week:
The Coffee Oasis teens taught us something very silly.
Celebrating here got me excited for sunny afternoons to come.
I can hardly put this book from Preston Sprinkle down.
I set an alarm Wednesday morning to order dahlias from this friend.
I’m so grateful KXC released this song this week.
May we experience both the preparation for more of God’s love and the joy of Jesus’ resurrection.
Megan
*This has been the word used for the last weeks on Lectio365, an app that a number of folks at Kitsap House use daily to guide our prayers.
