Posts
Yesterday I went to an Ash Wednesday service they had at school. I was not impressed with the homily at all. But what spoke to me most was what the priest said as he put ashes on my forehead; "ashes to ashes, dust to dust, may you live out the message of the gospel with your life, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit." That is my goal, for my life, but especially for this Lenten season.
And I also received a great reminder of this in my devotional today. (I decided im going to do d365 each day of lent [Thanks for that site natalie!]) Here is some of what it said:
Tuesday:
"Looking inward is not something that we do easily. Most of the time, we prefer to see our outward circumstances as the controlling factors of how we live" ... I find this to be very true of myself, so especially during the next 39 days i am going to spend more time in inward reflection.
Ash Wednesday:
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
That verse is a great reminder to me that we are here for such a short time (ashes to ashes, dust to dust), so why store treasures on this earth? But store up treasures in heaven. Treasures that are eternal, that will last FOREVER. This is what is NOT meaningless (referencing Solomon in Ecclesiastes).
I love that, "for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." This makes me think about how when we are storing up treasures in heaven, we are working towards the eternal glory. We are living for eternity. And if our heart is with our treasures (as the verse states) we will find great joy in doing "kingdom work" here on earth. Because it is work that is eternal. I love to know I can find Joy because my heart is in my treasures. And my treasures will last forever. I am sorry, I am having trouble articulating my thoughts here, I just can't make them sound eloquent.
But that verse also makes me think of youth in action. And the kids I have built relationships with. They are my treasures. I want them to be stored in heaven. to know their eternal souls will one day see God's glory. That is what I'm striving for. But it is not me. But it is the Spirit working in me and in them that connects us to eternity.
.... back to the devotion for today:
"Today we begin the Lenten journey. One of the primary opportunities Lent provides for us is a time of self-examination. This is a time to take an honest look at our lives and to discern what is helping us to grow in our faith and what is holding us back. It may be the perfect time to discern what we leave and what we take, what gets done and what is left undone. Those choices will ultimately show where the real treasures lie."
Brian Prior |  |
