Preparing…

The baby is coming… soon… For the expectant parents, there is much to do. A room to paint. A crib to assemble. Clothes to wash and place neatly in draws. Tiny dresses to hang in the closet. Books on a shelf. Toys in a bin. Diapers at the ready with more wipes than they can even imagine using. They must hang the beautiful artwork they have chosen for the nursery- Monet prints to inspire their little one. So much to do, and only weeks left… if that. But all this is mere window dressing to the preparation of the heart. How do you prepare to welcome a little one? What makes anyone ready to take on the awesome responsibility of guiding a tiny human being through life?

The wedding is coming… soon… For the bride and groom, there is much to do. A venue to choose. A dress to find. A tux to rent. A menu to select. A photographer to hire who will capture the magic of the day. A DJ who will inspire the gathering to get on their feet to celebrate. Friends and family to invite. Bridesmaids and groomsmen to stand for them. Hopefully, the couple will choose a pastor who will mark the day with God’s call and blessing. There are so many decisions to create the day of their dreams, one that they will cherish for years to come. I marvel at the frenzy surrounding an American wedding.

I’m working with five couples right now, who are just weeks and months away from their special day. Yet, our time together is focused not on a day, but on a lifetime together. The day will come and go, but the days that come after will keep coming. Preparing now for those ‘next’ days will allow their one special day to matter for a lifetime.

Preparing…

The Lenten season is a time of preparing. The church offers this season to focus heart and mind lest we miss the Savior in the midst of a parade and a party. Each step in this season is intended to draw us closer… following His footsteps… remembering His words… sitting at His feet… joining Him at the table... listening for each word from the cross. Each step, each experience, each word deepens the meaning of the climax. Without those steps, we find ourselves swept away by Easter’s Hallelujah with no way to ground that victory in our daily lives. So, we prepare… we pray… we sacrifice… we read our daily devotional… we gather for worship… we walk each step of Holy week with Jesus as if it were the first time. Those who prepare find themselves at the empty tomb with resounding joy, not just a party’s celebration.

Last Wednesday, Carol Stern began our Lenten worship with a poem by William Aruthur Ward. Allow these words to guide the preparation of your heart to welcome the Savior in new and deeper ways.

Fast from judging others… Feast on Christ dwelling in them
Fast from fear and loneliness…Feast on the healing power of God
Fast on words that pollute… Feast on speech that purifies
Fast on discontent… Feast on gratitude
Fast on anger… Feast on patience
Fast on pessimism… Feast on hope
Fast on negatives … Feast on encouragement
Fast on bitterness… Feast on forgiveness
Fast on self-concern… Feast on compassion
Fast from suspicion… Feast on truth
Fast from gossip… Feast on purposeful silence
Fast from problems that overwhelm… Feast on prayers that sustain
Fast from anxiety… Feast on faith

With you on the road to Jerusalem,
Anita