Into the Desert: A Lenten Journey of Love
- ifibeme
- Feb 21, 2015
- 2 min read
Have you ever noticed how Valentine's Day and Ash Wednesday fall so close to one another every year? In our relationship with God, during Valentine's Day we say “I love You” and during Lent we say “now let me show You how much.” I have heard it said that love is about sacrifice – what better way is there to show someone you love them than to give up something you love for them? And so it is that during Lent we are brought closer to God through our sacrifices and acts of charity.
When you go without meat on Ash Wednesday and throughout the Fridays during Lent, think of God and how much you love Him. Remind yourself that you are making the sacrifice for Him. When you give up something you love, choose to do something extra for your spiritual state (such as saying extra prayers or going to mass daily), or help others daily throughout Lent you are not only reminded of Jesus and His own journey through the desert, but you are also drawing closer to God and showing others how much you love Him.
Just as Jesus went without sustenance in the desert for forty days (and nights), so must we suffer for forty days to prove to Him how much we care. For you observant people out there who have counted out the days of Lent on the calender and have noticed that Lent is really forty-seven days, I have news for you: every Sunday during Lent counts as a mini Easter, during which you are not required to do your sacrifice. Subtract those seven Sundays and you are left with the forty days of Lent. Of course, it is more of a sacrifice to go all forty-seven days carrying out our sacrifices, but it is not required to do so on Sundays. But, as I said before, Lent is about showing God our love. We often say we love Him, but are we ready to walk the walk? Are you ready to show Him how much? Are you strong enough to make it through the desert?
I challenge you to do something hard for Lent– something that comes at some sort of a cost for you – your time, a favorite type of food, an activity, anything that means something special to you. Jesus paid the ultimate price, giving His own life for our salvation. Lent is a time to remember Jesus's sacrifice, tell Him thank you, and show Him just how far out in the desert we are willing to walk for Him.
