Happy Valentine’s Day. 

Where were we on February 14, 2020? Were we interested to enter the season of Lent as the first marker day—Ash Wednesday—marched toward us? Did we see the coming of Lent with the same “ho-hum” attitude as we may normally face other things religious? OUCH.

The year of 2020 has been a challenging year. We could pause right there, and our heads might fall forward in remembrance; we may throw back our head, and shout, “You got that right;” and we might throw up our hands in the air, totally helpless to figure out the craziness of the past year on our own.
Where we were last year—-what were we thinking—–what were we hoping—–on the final Sunday before the season of Lent 2020?

Never (in our wildest dreams) did we ever think we would celebrate Easter Sunday in the comfort of our homes, but we did.

Never (in our crazy thoughts) did we plan to wear a face covering day-after-day keeping us from really seeing those we meet each day, but we still do.

Never did we think that our world could become so cloistered, so separated, and so upside down, but it still does.
2020.

The year our season of Lent lasted (what seemed to be) a full year.

The year we celebrated Easter separated and not in church.

The year of lost handshakes and lost hugs.

The year of working from home and attending school from our couches.

The year we may never, ever forget.
2020.

The year we saw the alignment of two planets on December 21st (a sight not seen in over 800 years).

The year we learned to take communion at home, led by the pastor, as we took into our mouth a cracker and a sip of water.

The year of lost Sunday School and regular school, but also the year to draw closer to our LORD.

2020—The year to rely more upon our Bible study, our prayer time, and our quiet time with our Father.

The year we grew closer to God, the year we sensed God more.

2020—The year we may have thought would never end, but it did.

2020—The year we just ended, and as we stepped into 2021, we found to our dismay that the calendar may have changed, but the season of this virus still remained.
And so we hoped a calendar would bring relief, but it’s just the turning of a page.

And so we hope that the administrating of a vaccine will bring relief, but it’s just a shot…good for a short time.

And so we face the last Sunday before we enter the season of Lent, and we hope, and we pray, and we ponder that huge question—-God, are we soon to be past this? Will we ever returning to normal?

And God, is this our new normal.

Today, February 14th, IS the last Sunday before the 40 day walk toward Easter, the most beautiful celebration of remembrance, when we shout and sing, “Praise God, my Savior lives.”  Easter is a huge day to the life of the believer, but so is today, the Sunday before Ash Wednesday and the start of the season of Lent.

Yesterday.  Today.  Tomorrow. 

Where will we be? What will we do? Where will we go? When we arise, Who will we be? Who will we follow? How will we choose to believe?In whom will we place our trust & faith?

Questions for this season of Lent. Questions for today. 
So often, we have lived, walking one day to the next, never really contemplating if we are truly living as God would have us live. The year 2020 gave us space to contemplate, and the year 2020 gave us time to pause, and 2020 gave us separation, the space we needed to meet God.

The Bible provides us great direction for today and for every day.  The Scripture guides our steps as we walk and quiets our turmoil as we do not go, as we stay. Thank You God for Your Word. Thank You God for the Bible.
Today, a few verses in 2 Corinthians 8 guide me on this last Sunday before the season of Lent, during this week of Ash Wednesday, and during the 40 Days leading me toward Easter Sunday, toward the praise of our LORD for His resurrection.

“But just as you abound in everything, in faith and utterance and knowledge and in all earnestness and in the love we inspired in you, see that you abound in this gracious work also. I am not speaking this as a command, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity of your love also. For you know the grace of our LORD Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich.”(2 Corinthians 8:7-9)

We are poor without Christ. Without Him living inside our heart, we are living in poverty. Apart from His love, we will never receive His rich mercy and grace. May we seek God today. May we seek God in 2021. May we pursue God with all our heart, all our soul, all our strength, and all our mind. May we in all earnestness pursue God. May we today while there is still time. And as we do, God promises that He will reveal Himself to others through us. As we do, God will give us opportunities to join in His work of saving the world, of drawing all to Him.

Thank you God for Your beautiful gift of salvation.

Thank you God for today.

Thank You God for February 14th.

Thank You God for Ash Wednesday. 

Thank You God for Lent.

Thank You God for Easter.

Thank You God for eternity with You.

Thank You God.