It begins the 40 day journey of seeking fully a relationship with Jesus. Not to say I don't seek Him daily, I DO! However, I'm going to be completely honest, it is most often during the Lent Season that I feel my relationship with Him the deepest.
Today I will begin my one meal fast. I've never taken such a leap. In the past I've given up candy, chocolate, ice cream, coffee, soda. Never everything. And to even say "everything" makes me want to change the word. In truth, what I am giving up is very minimal! Jesus gave HIS LIFE. I'm giving up indulging and replacing it with carving out time for Him and seeking His presents in my life, His will and His desires. My hope is through this time of being obedient, I will come to feel Him so deeply seeded in me that others will see Him too.
In the past when I've done this, it has made me very mindful of the sacrifice which was made so that we could have this life, and have it so abundantly fully.
When I would reach for the candy, I'd stop and think "really? I can't walk away from a Good N' Plenty, but Jesus walked, beaten and torn to be hung upon the cross, for me. ME, ME!!!" And He made the journey for YOU as well. One can not even begin to put the small sacrifice of Lent into perspective when we think of THE CROSS. I walk away from something, He walked to the cross ......no comparison!
I love my relationship with Jesus. I so deeply appreciated that each morning, we are joined together for a time of building our relationship. A date that is not often taken for granted and a time which is jointly shared. I'm so grateful for the understanding of His love, His presents and His peace in my life.
Today as I journey forward into the 40 days of Lent I am doing so with a desire to seek Him. To love Him more. To be open to Him moving me. To sharing Him with others. As part of my journey, I will seek to make this Lent season, a season of growth in my relationship with Jesus, not just the acknowledgement of understanding for what He did for me. What He did for you. He died upon the cross so that we could have life here and we could have life with Him, eternally.
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. John 11:25-26