One cannot simply open his eyes and see. The work of understanding involves not only dialectic, but a long labor of acceptance, obedience, liberty and love. ~Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander
There is nothing quite like farm living to teach you about the true essence of each liturgical season, including, or maybe especially, Lent.
Lent is a season for introspection. For repentance. For remembering the wilderness of the soul, for pondering a life without hope. It is a season for simplicity, waiting and preparing. It isn’t a 40~day diet, exercise plan, or a chance to become more organized or organic (at last!). Instead, it’s a time to peel away the layers of distraction that blur our ability to see the intersection of the holy and the common. On the farm, in this season of Lent, we are keenly at the mercy of Mother Nature and Father Time. It may rain. It may snow. It may freeze. The sun may shine hot and bright. The bulbs might break free from the earth too soon, a snowstorm may shut down all work, the earth may remain hard, and the mud might be hip~deep. The transition from winter to spring is full of false starts and delayed plans.
During this time, I begin to haunt the garden stores for succulents. Over the past few years, these funny rubber plants have become my Lenten icons, a way to bridge the yet~ not~yet gap between Epiphany and Easter. These succulents provide little bursts of green scattered throughout the house, and their steady and low~drama existence provides reminders that good things come out of patience and contentment. If I can let my plans and my timing be laid low, setting aside the distractions of what could be and cultivating gratitude and love for what is instead, I might see and understand the goodness of God’s timing that much more.
For Reflection
This Lent, consider the upcoming or desired transitions in your life or your faith community’s life. How can you cultivate gratitude for what is instead of focusing on what could be?
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For more resources please visit The Episcopal Church in Colorado Lent Formation Resources (These resources include Lenten meditations and activities for different age groups and interests.)