Day 21 – Awaiting Angels
Bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes ~ Isaiah 61:3
How can we imagine the loneliness of Jesus? He must have missed the winsome smiles and laughter of friends and the familiar joking of family. His memories carried Him, as did the songs of faith that echoed through his heart. The silent desert rang with jubilant singing as Jesus lifted His voice in joy. Even the rocks cried out, and every grain of sand applauded as the melodies of the Son of Man thundered.
At the midpoint of our journey, we are tempted to remain but are drawn forward, compelled by the mystery of transformation. So, we walk on with Jesus toward Calvary, resurrection, and new life beyond.
Still, old desires pull us, and past attitudes cling. They strive to hold us back, yet the words of life spur us to new heights. If we look, we see their glimmer in the distance.
Our desires are mingled with grief as the flames of passion sometimes scorch our own hands—occasionally the hands of others. This hurts the worst—when our foolishness brings others pain— those times leave us on the bottom, looking up, trying to repent.
Surprisingly, repentance becomes the comforting balm that welcomes us. Who but God can heal the wounds of the ravaged and the ravager, making them more beautiful than before? Our scars are our wounds that have been healed. There is beauty in a repaired life
We are halfway through our Lenten Journey. At this point, I’m enabling comments, so feel free to share if something moves you or if you are experiencing something during Lent that might be an encouragement to others. One simple guideline: be kind and understand everyone is at a unique place in their faith journey.