Take a Rest

We are at the end of the second week of Lent now. How has this season been for you? Does it feel different from the rest of your year, or have you not entirely entered into the spirit of it yet? Or maybe you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the commitments To Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that you’ve made, and you realize they are not all sustainable. That’s okay too. However your Lent is proceeding, can you allow yourself some quiet time with Jesus alone in the desert today? Remember, Lent isn’t a diet or a self-improvement program. There are many fantastic ideas for marking the season, but we can’t do them all. And God doesn’t need us to do them all.

Why not allow yourself some time to rest with Jesus now? Ask him to be with you wherever you are: in the corner of your bedroom, on a bus, lying on your bed. If it helps to imagine being with Jesus out in the desert during his 40-day retreat, do that. You can be with him without talking, and let him be with you. He’s good at knowing your heart. Or you can tell him whatever is on your mind. Pay attention to how he receives you and if he has any response.

For Prayer: Without feeling the need to do anything for God today, let yourself rest and simply be with God.

To Pray: Lord, help me remember that I am a human being, not a human doing. Teach me to rest regularly in you, just as you rested in your Father.