It’s Lent again. So soon.

We’ve been through another year of COVID; another year of wonder and worry. But now it’s time to return our focus to God. How will we draw closer this time? Will we give up chocolate (again), or write in our journals everyday, or perhaps we’ll give up trying to be someone we aren’t. That last may be the most difficult sacrifice of all.

How do we convince ourselves that we are fine just as we are? How do we convince ourselves that God loves us so very deeply? And how on earth do we recognize this as we begin again this day, yet another Ash Wednesday? How do we see in ourselves our own God-ness as we move into these 40 days and 40 nights?

We can make this time a little different than in years past. We can turn our love for God inward as we vow to love ourselves, just as we are. We can notice all that is holy about us and thank God for Christ, for time to reflect and for time of self-love. It doesn’t come easily for many of us, after-all. It will be a challenge. It will be sacrificial.

Praise to the living God. We are here and we belong to God who sees into us, yet only sees goodness.

So grateful are we for the grace we’ve been given. Hallowed be thy name.

AMEN.