Lent

It may seem weird, but Lent is my all time favorite season of the church. I know that Lent is a time of darkness and suffering, but I think that's why I like it so much. Because through all the pain, the darkness, the sadness - there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And that light is Easter! For me, Lent is a time to reflect back on those dark times in my life, to talk to God about them, to seek for forgiveness and then to be able to rejoice in the Resurrection! For me, Lent is a reminder that no matter how bad things might be, God is still there. 

I receive these email devotionals everyday including Lent devotionals. This year's devotionals actually talk about the "battle" between darkness and light. The one for Ash Wednesday talked about this verse:

"The light shines in the darkness, & the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5

 I love knowing that light will always overcome the darkness and not the other way around. It means that God is always going to be there, He is always going to make sure we pull through. The devotional also said this:

All of us struggle with the power of darkness in our lives, the darkness of fear, doubt, dread and anxiety. We see it in our health problems, financial struggles and our strained relationships. We see it in the darkness of our own struggles within.

This is so true in all of our lives. AJ and I have seen our fair share of darkness over the past year. But the devotional goes on to say that God will shine his light into the "darkest corners of our sin-filled hearts and minds." God is going to continue to shine that light for us so we can see the light battle and overcome the darkness for us.

I was unable to make it to an Ash Wednesday service this year, but this is always one of the services I enjoy the most. The ashes that get placed on our heads remind us of the death and darkness in our lives. But they also remind us that Jesus died so that we can have His life and forgiveness. For me, Ash Wednesday services are a powerful event. 

I actually had a very moving experience at the Ash Wednesday service at Wartburg my freshmen year there. I remember writing it all down in a journal and even talking to one of my high school friends about it. I looked and looked to see if I could find that journal entry and even though I couldn't, I did find the conversation I had with my good friend about it. During the service, we each wrote down a sin or a list of sins that were weighing down our hearts. And then we took turns going to the front of the chapel and nailing those sins to the cross. 

In the conversation, I say to my friend that after nailing my slip of paper to that cross, I felt free. I felt lighter. I felt forgiven. For me, that is what Lent is about. It's about letting go of your sins, of your struggles, of your darkness and handing them all over to God. Jesus long ago paid the ultimate price for us. We have been given life and forgiveness because of Him. 

I've ordered a couple of devotional books that I hope to start reading on a daily basis during Lent (and of course after Lent as well!). I hope to share my journey with you in this blog. I hope to strengthen my relationship with God and at the same time hopefully strengthen my relationship with my husband. I've started these devotionals and will be reading from the Couples Devotional Bible that AJ and I got at our wedding (pictured). I was actually going through and was going to underline the verses that we had during the readings at our wedding when I stumbled upon a devotional about some specific struggles that AJ and I are currently dealing with. I knew that was God telling me that it was going to be okay and that He is going to see us through. 

So as this Lenten season begins, I'm excited to start my journey. I'm excited to see how my relationships grow. I'm excited about the idea of being reminded that God is always there in the darkness, shining His light through.