Last week was school vacation week, and I was road tripping with my son and two of his friends to visit colleges in western Pennsylvania. Note to self: add surviving a road trip with three teenage boys to gratitude list.
Because I was on the road, I missed last Monday's gratitude posting. I did, however, find many, many things during that several day period for which to be grateful.
We returned the day before Ash Wednesday which signifies the beginning of Lent. Since then, I've been poking around on some of my favorite blogger's sites and thinking about others reflections on the Lenten season. Having been raised in a non-liturgical church, I never thought much about Lent. In recent years I've sometimes opted in to the practice of giving something up for the season, but not really out of a sense of duty or obligation. It's been more of a "there's probably nothing wrong with giving something up for Lent and it probably wouldn't kill me" kind of approach.
At the end of the vacation week, the beloved Swede took a group on his annual cross-country ski adventure into the White Mountains. I never go on this trip because I'm always very, very busy. One of the things that kept me busy this weekend was deep cleaning my bathroom. I mean, I actually do clean it on a regular basis, but we've been in this house for almost eight years now. The walls we freshened up with a new coat of paint when we moved in have gotten decidedly grubby. Sometimes I think it's a little sick that when I have free time alone in the house my instinct is to clean. I even went out and bought pink rubber gloves (a percentage of the purchase price went toward breast cancer research, supposedly) to make cleaning more fun. Clean things make me happy. Right now, I'm so happy about how clean my bathroom is, I almost don't want to use it. I want it to stay clean forever.
Lent reminds me that there is real dirt in my life and in the world around me, and it's dirt that I can't scrub clean no matter how hard I try or how pretty my pink gloves are. The next few weeks are for getting down on my hands and knees and seeing just how messy things are and preparing me for the only thing that can wash both me and this grubby world clean.
148. What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
149. Lent
150. The teenage son willing to accept help with his homework from his father.
151. Singing praises as a way to defeat enemies—God inhabits the praises of His people. Psalm 22:3
152. That the battle is not ours, but the Lord’s.
153. A family movie night. My son’s happiness that we enjoyed the movie he recommended.
154. Getting the mission trip support letters mailed.155. Getting the snow shoveled before school.
156. A road trip to visit colleges with three very fine young men.
157. The way they blessed my mom by filling her house with life and laughter.
158. The joy of playing a low-tech board game.
159. The son honoring his grandmother by sharing his gift and playing the offertory at her church.
161. New members receiving the right hand of fellowship.
162. Men’s volleyball night at Mom’s church and the willingness of three teens from out-of-town to show up and join in.
163. Mom’s three handsome Valentine dates.
164. Young men who can make their own fun with forks and a rubber bouncy ball.
165. The hospitality of a high school friend and his wife during a college visit. Getting to know her, hear her story, and make a new friend.
166. Good food, good laughter, authentic conversation about trusting God in the lives our children.
167. Young men who bring out the best in each other.
168. Blue skies and easy driving even though we were following a major winter storm.
169. Prayers of the faithful for traveling mercies.
170. The college daughter being jazzed to volunteer at the Jubilee conference.
171. The CCO—transforming students to transform the world.
172. Chinese takeout.
173. Girls’ night in. A unique collection of friends who minister to me in different ways.
174. Getting to share Sue’s music and voice with friends.
175. Jambalaya and Creole.
176. Another successful (and blessedly uneventful) cross-country ski trip organized by the beloved Swede. The joy he experiences in sharing his passion and skill with others and in providing them the opportunity to witness places of great beauty.
177. The beloved Swede's text message report about the son and his friends: Boys took off and ruled the trail!
178. Memories made. Bonds forged.
1 comment:
I have really been treasuring praise music lately. It's so true that hymns are edifying and encouraging, I love your point about God inhabiting the music. Thanks for sharing.
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