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| Lent is a special time for Christians. It serves as preparation for Easter and as a way to help us more fully understand the sufferings of Jesus. We confess, we reflect, we dig deep. And sometimes we come out limping. REST STOP #1: Limping through Lent Ever watch how people walk? The way people walk says a lot about them. When I’m feeling right with God and the world, I walk with confidence. I have an easy stride. I don’t saunter or have some arrogant, I’ve-got-the-world-by-the-tail gait. But I walk, tall and straight. My walking is almost effortless. I am comfortable with who I am and who I am with God. A couple weeks ago a friend of mine hurt herself. She sprained her ankle. The doctor told her to walk with the pain and not fight against it. “Let yourself limp,” he told her. (Please don’t take this as advice for every sprained ankle!) She was tempted, however, to try to walk normally and hide the limp. If the injury isn’t too bad, she reasoned, one can grimace, walk straight as an arrow and no one is the wiser. But that would impede healing. That’s what the doctor said. It is now the season of Lent. This is a time in the Christian calendar where we acknowledge our sins and our shortcomings, a time when we sometimes deny ourselves of physical pleasures or we add a special habit of prayer. It is the season for spiritual hurts. And I have hurts. I think I sprained my soul. I suffer a sprain, yet I can still “walk” confidently if I’m careful. I can pray publicly, teach Bible, I can give correct answers to deep questions. I can pretend I’m in good shape. I can walk tall spiritually, stride into a room with a comfortable gait. But I’m wincing with pain. Continued... |
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