Blessed Lent to you and yours.

Lent is the time where the Church invites us to focus on repentance. So, I’d wish you a happy Lent, but that seems out of place. I am still confident in God’s blessings during this time on our sanctification journeys. Even as you and I go with God through our sins, He is with us.

We just spent a season, The Sundays After Epiphany, looking at going with God. I pointed out that going with God is our response to God’s actions on our sanctification journeys. This reminder helps me enter Lent with the peace of God’s presence. You can check out the whole reflection from Sundays After Epiphany [here].

Now, Lent starts on Wednesday, 2 March – so called Ash Wednesday. We stay in this season all the way to Holy Saturday, 16 April. [As a side note, does anyone else find it humorous that Tax Season in the US runs for most of this season?] Anyway, the Church invites us to prepare for Easter in the season of Lent by confessing our sins and making acts of faith in repentance for those sins.

Many times, we talk about sin as a choice made in the past on our sanctification journeys. So, Lent is a wonderful time to talk about the noise of the past. The noise of the past is perhaps the most distracting noise on our sanctification journeys. Because, this noise can distract us from both “good times” and “bad times” on our travels with God. We recall our mistakes during good times, so we miss the peace in the present because we can only hear from our grand mistakes in the past. Then, we ignore God’s continued blessings in bad times because we remember how delightful things once were. As a result, the past can deafen us to God’s voice.

Let us listen for God’s voice in our noise for a season. God will move us in His time, so let’s see what God has for us today.

Picture From Ordinary Life

The noise of the past distracts us from “bad times” with memories of ‘greener pastures.’ Now, this might be a bit confusing. We’re already in a “bad time,” so how can we be distracted on our sanctification journeys?

Well, let’s see what we can see.

Around a year ago, Ruth joined our family. She taught us the reasons for sleep deprivation’s outlaw status under the Geneva Convention. She would wail three, four, or five times during any given night. Regardless of the number of wails, she was awake at seven in the morning. So, we gave her the nickname the “Wee Banshee.”

As a result of the sub-optimal sleeping conditions, Jessica and I faced a challenging time on our marriage journey. We became short with each other and lost some patience with Lynn – which is doubly unfortunate because if Ruth woke Jessica and I, guess who else Ruth kept awake?

All the while, Jessica and I dreamed of “greener pastures.” We fondly remembered how quickly Lynn slept through the night. Date Nights outside the home flowed through our minds. Plus, Jessica and I recalled the wonders of Lynn learning to interact with her world.

The noise of the past used those memories for our distraction during a difficult time for our marriage journey. The good times from the past looked infinitely preferable to our present. Undoubtedly, Jessica and I forced our way through some of those moments. We listened to that noise and tried to walk alone. “Walking alone” is the result of being distracted by the noise.

As you let this sink in, ask yourself: What noise from your past distracts you from God on your sanctification journey?

Faithful Connection

The Israelites in the Desert came to my mind during my reflections on the noise of the past. The Israelites complained to Moses because at least they had food in Egypt. In other words, the Israelites allowed the noise from the past to recall only “greener pastures” that appeared preferable to their present moment with God. (Exodus 16)

The noise of the past distracted the Israelites on their sanctification journey just as it distracted Jessica and me on our marriage one.  The Israelites could not hear God’s call to keep going – His comfort. They failed to rely on His provision, which proved ample to that moment. And, they wanted to walk their path alone because they listened to the noise.

The noise of the past deafened them to God. This is the effect of the noise – this is how it distracts us on our sanctification journeys. So, as we look at this noise, one question comes to mind: What is the noise from your past that invites you to forget God?

Story Time

Now, I’d like to tell a story. The noise of the past also distracts us from good times with memories of past mistakes. This distraction is like a couple celebrating their 20th anniversary. Irene recalls a poor decision on Eustice’s part. How does this noise distract from the current celebrations? You’ll have to read to find out.

March’s Story: “Let’s Move On Already”