Ash Wednesday

With Ash Wednesday, we begin the season of Lent. Generally, it is considered a time of confession and contrition—acknowledging that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We pledge ourselves anew to live unto God’s Word in Jesus Christ, the eternal Word that remains forever.

But Lent is more than that.

It is also a time of joy looking forward to celebrating the astounding and guaranteed promise of earthly rescues and everlasting life—resurrection. So this Lent, if you feel hurt, discouraged, or rejected by past events, or if you would like to see more of God’s active presence in your life, let’s use this time as an invitation to step away from doing what we usually do and, instead, spend more time in prayer and seeking God’s help to show us how we can change our lives.

I found these quotes attributed to author James R. Sherman, Ph.D. He writes:

“All of us have been rejected more than once. We’ve been turned down for jobs, had applications refused, and lost out in romance…”

And he suggests what to do.

“First of all, you have to accept the fact that your rejection is over and done with. There’s nothing you can do now to change what has already happened. If you spend time worrying about it, you’ll lose sight of the present and stumble into a cloudy future. You can’t go back and make a new start, but you can start right now and make a brand new ending.”

Let’s look over the past year and rejoice at all the positive things that have happened in our lives. And then, make a note of what we’d like to see changed or different. Let’s place our requests at the feet of Jesus who has the power to do something about them. “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:1). He makes all things new and can even bring our dead dreams and hopes back to life.