Lenten Discipline?

The Hermitage

April 7, 2019

I was starting on another meditation when My Posse started threatening to ride. Seems there was another one of those old “Dead or Alive” posters that hadn’t been taken care of.

I covet your prayers about this one…

As most of you know, I’m wildly extroverted and my personality type is one that is constantly creating new opportunities (and the chaos that goes with it.)

What came to mind (along with an amazingly extensive list of unfinished projects) was the stack of journals I destroyed when I retired. An old pattern was evident (which I’ve conveniently ignored...another of those boxes?….hmmmm….is this one on a shelf or in the swamp??)

Every Lent Andrea (among others) urged me to keep a journal of my meditations (such as they were.) Now, as you know, I’m really verbal (you said ‘verbose,’I didn’t) and writing in the past has been very difficult for me. So, every Lent I succumbed to the pressure and kept a journal.

Except…..

When I reviewed them it seems they lasted until just about Holy Week and after that every single one of them was filled with blank pages.

Then The Posse reminded me, “You started this “Sacred Journey” stuff in Lent. How long before you get bored with it and quit?”

Good question….or is it? Who’s asking?

Reflections

Somehow this seems different than journaling. I guess because journaling always seemed such a waste of time...and energy. As an extrovert I pretty well got whatever I was pondering. Quite frankly, on the day I scanned them before burning them, none of it was really very deep. Most seemed contrived to get something down on paper to satisfy the day's obligation.

Maybe the difference has to do with the changes in my life.

First, from the start I haven’t seen this as an obligation. More like a gift He, and you, are giving me.

Second, as I’ve embraced solitude (and I still want to write about that) it seems natural somehow to share my reflections.

So I do ask your prayers. Send the Posse back to the barn and let them know that I’m in this for the long haul. At least that’s my intention…

Or maybe God’s intention?

As I said in “The Torrent”, He sure seems to think I’ve got a lot of catchin’ up to do.

Epilogue

Today is Epiphany Sunday. I pray your Lenten Discipline is going as well as mine, and that neither of us abandons it when Easter comes and releases us from our “obligations.”

_________

Till then….

Thanks for Journeying with me.