Lenten Reflections2022-03-09T18:53:13-08:00

Lenten Reflections

Lenten Reflections

Please consider reading these daily Lenten Reflections written by Students, Student Ministers, Christian Initiation and Confirmation Students, YAGS, and Staff as part of your Lenten Prayer. They reflect on the daily readings and are written each day during Lent.

Day 9

“Turn our mourning into gladness and our sorrows into wholeness.”- Esther C:25

As we journey through this first week of Lent, we may have begun to experience emotions of sadness along with longing for things we have decided to give up. Yet, the more we experience sorrow and mourning, the more we turn our souls, hearts, minds, bodies, our entirety to the Lord. We know that He alone ultimately gives us the peace that which the Earth and others cannot give, a peace that will turn our mourning and sorrows to gladness and joy.

Turning to the Lord in moments of grief is an experience I am sure all of us have experienced at one point or another. For myself, when my dad passed away last May, I was left in a great amount of grief. However, amidst this grief, I found consolation through knowing the hope we all share in the eternal life after death. I especially found comfort in the Anointing of the sick for my dad and the many prayers said for him.

As we journey through this Lenten season, we will experience sorrows and mourning. But we know that in the end, joy will conquer sadness, death and sin have been conquered! We know that at the end of Lent we get to experience the great joy of Jesus’ resurrection. Therefore, let us allow God to turn any sorrows we may experience into joy as we keep our eyes focused on the resurrection of Jesus in preparation for Easter.

– Rollen Ellsworth

Day 8

Wednesday, March 9

“A heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn. Have mercy on me, O God, in your goodness; in the greatness of your compassion wipe out my offense. Thoroughly wash me from my guilt and of my sin cleanse me.” – Psalm 51

I often find myself drowning in the guilt of my daily mistakes, refusing to accept any compassion or redemption for the things I know I could have done better. Some days it’s the guilt of knowing I could have been more productive in my day; I could have studied more, I could have exercised, I could have caught up on that one class I’ve been falling behind on, or I could have gone to bed earlier. Other days it’s the guilt of past actions and mistakes I can’t seem to let go of…the list never seems to end. This guilt can be paralyzing. It prevents me from being able to see past my daily failings and keeps me up at night reproaching myself for how much better I could do things.

Yet, today’s psalm is a beautiful reminder of God’s immense love and compassion for me. It’s a reminder that He loves and forgives me despite my continued fallings. That He shows me compassion even when I can’t show myself any. So today I choose to accept it. I choose to accept compassion and forgive myself for the things I know I could have done better. Today, I will allow Him to wash away my guilt. I know it can be hard to accept so much compassion for oneself, and I know that those cycles of guilt and regret will soon try to creep into my life again, because I am, after all, just a human. But today, at least for today, I will not let them in. I will let Him cleanse me of my guilt.

I invite you to do the same. Today, I challenge you to only accept compassion and forgiveness for yourself. Let God cleanse you. You deserve the break.

– Alex J

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