Lent is the journey we find ourselves on over these next 40 days, and returning to God is the place we’re being invited. In a human context, when we think of home, we think of a destination in which we arrive. In a spiritual context, home is a place we’re forever trying to reach.
It doesn’t matter where your journey has taken you, this Lenten observance affords us an opportunity to return to God in a similar anticipatory manner in which we return home after being away for a period of time.
This human need to return to our physical home aligns with our need to return to our spiritual home. No matter your individual circumstances, how far you’ve strayed, even if you run out of gas, make the wrong turn, your GPS stops working, or humanity brings you to a halt, God is always with you, inviting you to come home.
As the old saying goes, “There is no place like home”. Regardless of whether that phrase brings to mind home in the physical or spiritual sense, we all find our most gratifying comfort in returning to that special place that we call home.
As your Lenten Journey finds you headed toward home, the route you take and sacrifices you make getting there are not always easy. He never said it was going to be easy, but he did promise that it would be worth it.
If you can trust his promise as much as you may trust the integrity of the chef in a restaurant that prepares your meal- someone that you often never see, meet or know, then you can put your faith in the most trustworthy presence of your lifetime. You’ll never find anyone, anywhere, at any time in your life that will rival God’s trustworthiness. Trust Him!
When contemplating the role of fasting as part of your Lenten observance, know that fasting is not embraced just for the sake of checking off a spiritual box. We fast to bear better fruit and become a “Better You”! The focal points of your fast (if you choose to engage) should be less about what you give up and more about temporarily sacrificing the aspects of your life that may be acting as detours or roadblocks in your journey toward home.
As you travel home, remember that there are no shortcuts. The longest way is often the most difficult and less traveled way, but also the safest way. Take the route that leads you through the vibrant villages of kindness, the rolling hills of love lane, the winding rivers of joy fields, the high cliffs of patience peak, and the expansiveness of gentleness grove, peace valley, generosity gardens, faithfulness fields, and self-control canyon. God created us to travel not just on flat land but also through mountains, rivers, peaks and valleys.
Perhaps the overarching goal of Lent and beyond is to get closer to God and become a “Better You” and in turn a “Better Us”. As difficult as it may be, pause and press the mute button to this busy life we live and find moments to leave the noise of the world behind you. Enjoy the peace and tranquility of silence wherever you choose to find it. On your journey toward home, walk the route of listening a little harder not only to God, but to others. Listen to what they are saying and more importantly what they are not saying.
As you continue the journey we call life, realize that the world is forever changing in ways that are challenging while also offering amazing “Better Self “ and Better Us” growth opportunities. We live in a culture that presents us with distractions and temptations, but as you put forth your best Lenten effort to journey home to God, take no steps backward, not even one. Home in this context is where the “Better You” resides.
During this Lenten season as you journey home listen to God’s gentle but firm voice inviting you to come home.
"Home is where the better you resides." I like that. It resonates with my ongoing desire to be a happier better me.