Lent
March 9, 2022
Scripture Reading: Psalm 27
Teach me your way, O Lord,
and lead me on a level path
because of my enemies.
Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses have risen against me,
and they are breathing out violence.
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord! –Psalm 27:11-14
As I watch what is going on in our world, I observe that some seem to be stuck in the state of growth described as the terrible twos. I search to see how that stage is described by the professionals and found this description:
Two-year-olds are struggling with their reliance on their parents and their desire for independence. They’re eager to do things on their own, but they’re beginning to discover that they’re expected to follow certain rules. The difficulty of this normal development can lead to inappropriate behavior, frustration, out-of-control feelings and tantrums*.
Does that not sound like the behavior of many adults today? We are caught in a world that is changing as drastically as it did during the Industrial Revolution or the Renaissance. Life is moving at such a fast pace, we, too, are struggling to hold on to the past while desiring the expansive choices of the future. And we, too, are expected to follow certain rules for those choices to be wise. People of faith are called to consider how the Lord’s ways help us discern the better path as we traverse a new worldview. Our ancestors in faith traveled the path of new ways. Abraham left Ur to travel around the desert to a new and different life. The Israelites left slavery to enter a new land and start again. Let us walk this walk with the sure and certain knowledge that the goodness of the Lord will prevail.
Prayer: God of the Future, help us be strong, and let our hearts take courage as we struggle to let go of the familiar and allow you to guide us through the expansive choices we must make. Amen.
*This is taken from a longer description you can read at https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/infant-and-toddler-health/expert-answers/terrible-twos/faq-20058314#:~:text=The%20term%20%22terrible%20twos%22%20has,difficulty%20of%20dealing%20with%20them.
All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.