Saturday, March 21, 2026

 


I feel like I’ve been constantly distracted this Lent. With basketball zones, the start of a new school semester, and my exchange to France taking up most of my time, it has been easy to be distracted during this season of fasting, praying, and giving. I realize now that we are almost halfway through. 

Reading these passages, I see that my connection with God might be similar to my connection with Lent. I feel a little distanced from him.
So many activities cause stress that I forget about asking God for help. My behaviors started reflecting this underlying anxiety, and I didn’t even realize it. When I think about it, I see that I have been caught in this little tornado of constant things that keep changing and swirling around me. But if I take a step out of the tornado, I see my blessings, the things I’m grateful for, and most importantly, God.

Reading Jeremiah 11:18-20, I realize that I am like Jeremiah. I didn’t even notice that the stress was pulling me under, just like the evil that Jeremiah was facing. But just how God saved Jeremiah, I feel God working through me when I take a step back and adopt a new, more Christian, perspective on my life. 

Psalm 7:1-2 makes me feel protected by God. It created awareness in me when I read it, helping me realize that God is there for me; he will walk with me through every trouble and shield me from evil. 

John 7:40-53 shows Pharisees getting mad at the Temple Police for not arresting Jesus. I don’t want to be like a Pharisee. I want to love God and follow him. This gave me a new drive to follow him.

I felt more connected to God after reading these passages. When I think about it, I see all the ways God has impacted my life. It’s similar to taking a step back and realizing how much my parents have done for me. God deserves more of my attention. In order to follow him and believe in his word, I must devote some of my time to him. I can participate in the three pillars of Lent: almsgiving, fasting, and praying. For the rest of Lent I will work on at least one of these things, because if I let go of something or change my habits to the benefit of others, I feel like it will be easier to take a step back and see God’s work in my life.

Elizabeth



Graves Into Gardens   Elevation Worship

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