Consider this… who’s driving? You or the Spirit?
When looking at life, what forces influence the decisions and actions that we make? Family? Friends? Obligations? Children? Financial? I’m sure there are many others we can think of. Seriously, what forms our decisions and is God a part of that equation?
We begin this Holy Season of Lent with Jesus being led by the Spirit into the desert. This happens immediately after his Baptism by John in the Jordan. Jesus allows himself to be led, and in that action, God takes care of Jesus for 40 days through angels. Jesus is led by the Spirit, he isn’t forced, doesn’t need convincing or shy away from the Spirit.
It is a good reminder for us, are we allowing ourselves to be led by the Spirit. The 40 days of Lent are an opportunity to let the Spirit lead us. The scary part might be that we don’t know where we are being led, but as the scriptures show us, God will take care of us. There is a deep element of trust in journeying with the Spirit. Part of that trust is letting go of what holds us back. Sometimes our fears, anxieties, hurts, preferences, lack of knowledge, as well as other factors influence our ability to be led by the Spirit.
Jesus after the 40 days comes out of the desert on a mission to proclaim the Gospel. We too are invited to let the Spirit lead us these next 40 days to a deeper sense of who we are as disciples on a mission. To do that we have to let go of the baggage that weighs us down, or the hurts that cause us to be hesitant in responding to the Spirit.
This Lent, I invite all of us to focus on the cross in the front of church. At the base of the cross are band aids that you are invited to write whatever it is holding you back from being led by the Spirit. Maybe there are wounds and hurts from anger, distrust, resentment, or maybe there are weights of anxiety or the burdens of care for loved ones on our hearts that prevent us from being led. The thing is, by his cross, we are healed. Write what needs healing in your life on the band aid, anything… a hurt… a prayer… a stumbling block… a personal intention and put that band aid on the cross. On Good Friday this will be the cross that we venerate as we turn all of this over to Jesus. By letting go, we allow the Spirit to lead us where there is transformation and mission. You can place as many band aids on the cross that you want, and if they start to cover one another, that is ok. Jesus sees them all. Then at Easter, I promise, the transformation will astound you if we truly give it to Jesus!
Let this Lent be the one that changes you forever. Let this Lent be the best Lent ever! Why not?
Keep Smiling 😊 Fr. Bryan