March begins the season of Lent for 2025 with Ash Wednesday on March 5. Lent is a season in the life of the church to reflect on many things: our fragility and frailty as humans; our need for God; our sins and brokenness and God’s merciful love. Lent is a season to focus on being.
On our cruise in Europe in May 2024, Brady and I found ourselves just being quite often. We sat on the balcony of our cabin and relaxed. We would eat breakfast out there each morning and chat and joke. We would step off the ship to see something wonderful and come back to sit on that balcony again. We’d call my parents and her mom. We’d sit there and do crossword puzzles together. Or we’d just sit and talk. Since we’re both really busy during the year, it was nice to have that time with her to just sit and be. We enjoy the sites and smells and sounds of just being present with one another and with the creation.
I recall one evening we were sitting on that balcony watching the sun lowering over the Mediterranean and all I could call to mind was, “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth” (Psalm 46:10). These famous words encourage us to see that God is exalted in God’s creation. But the only way we can see it? If we’re still enough.
Lent provides us the opportunity to be still with God and see the glory of the Good Creator God being exalted by God’s own handiwork. In the gentle breeze or the setting sun; in the chirping of birds or howl of a distant animal. But we only appreciate these things when we’re still enough to truly see them and be consumed by them.
During the seven weeks of Lent, we’re called to reflect and focus. For this year, I encourage all of us to be. Just be. Be present with God. Be present with family. Be present with yourself. Be present in each moment and see if you can spot God’s exaltation in that moment, that scene, that place.
BE.
May you all have a peaceful and meaningful season of Lent.