the lent posting

we will start with this, because we'll end with this:



for the first year (ever) i observed Lent - a period of fasting and abstaining to focus on Jesus and what the sacrifice truly means.

that's the short version.

here's the truth: i've been putting off this posting because i don't want to write about it. and not in the, "it's soooo meaningful, i just don't have the words for it"way, but more in the, "i found what i needed to find, so it's ok" type of way.

here's my thing: my heart hurts for people. all people. people i love. people i have to work at loving. the homeless man who tells me to do something with myself at my bus stop because i have no cash to give him - i love him too. there's a sharp stabbing pain when i talk to the veterans on my bus on my way up to the hospital every morning. or the family i know that lost their house to forelosure because of unemployment and mounting medical bills? that one stabs at the left side of my heart and a little into my lungs.

i hope i'm not coming out of left field here, but i don't like power and wealth inequality. i'd like to see a society with a (much, much) more even distribution. i'd love to never, never, never hear ever, ever, ever again in my entire, whole life, "that's subsidized housing? wow. that's a little nice for hud housing, isn't it?"

i have a specific way i'd like to go about that. i think, genuinely, truly, honestly, that i was made that way.

here's my other thing: the people who don't believe in social inequality or who have an entirely different way of righting it? i love them. and i have new resolve, after this period of fasting and concentrating on God, to give away any negative words, thoughts or feelings that pop up. i choose to believe in faith that political differences do not mean - no, dear hearts, not at all - that either camp isn't loving people. we all have values. we have priorities. i have an opinion, sure, but i completely and totally respect the fact that other people will have opinions too. i will not call names. i will respect. i will work constructively. i will discuss. i will not preach. if i say something, i will weigh my words carefully and make sure they have grace. and meaning.

i will love.

and more than anything, i trust and will trust. i trust that things still rest in His hand. i trust He knows what He's doing.

and i will choose to use my Facebook time to love and have fun.

at the end of 40 days, i'm ashamed that i did feel like i knew better than others what our country needs politically. i'm ashamed that i reacted to negativity with negativity. justice? i'll still work towards it in the way i feel lead to.

but in no way - no way - do i believe that people who choose to go about it differently hear any less from God than i do or love any less. it's the place i have to be in if i want to keep close to the heart of God and value all human beings.

all the beings who are human - of which i am one. lovely, falliable, capable of great harm, but also capable of fantastic love.

sacrifice.

now, let's talk about how heart crushingly cute, sweet and precious my Goddaughter is. in these pictures, she's flowering the cross, looking for eggs and being generally just darling. she has moved from saying, "what's thaaaaaaat?" to "Bekah ok?" and "hi Isa!" and "moo cows?".

this is also Easter. this is love. this is passion.









Read More 16 comments | Posted by Lisa edit post

16 comments

  1. AandW Drive-Thru on April 12, 2010 at 4:16 AM

    Lovely Lisa... you're beautiful! (inside and out!) and precious to me. :)

      
  2. t i m on April 12, 2010 at 3:27 PM

    Excellently put.. :)

    Political differences shouldn’t utterly define us, but from the outside looking in across the pond, it seems to be increasingly filled with vitriol when one camp disagrees with the other without willing to reach a reasonable compromise.

      
  3. Maria on April 17, 2010 at 11:40 AM

    This is why you will be a GREAT Social Worker:)

      
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  14. Anonymous on June 13, 2010 at 11:43 AM

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  15. sneakypie9 on February 4, 2012 at 5:01 AM

    Just happened on this post and am so blessed by your words. The negativity is destructive. Loving both sides in our current political environment is power for good and real change. God Bless

      
  16. Lisa on February 5, 2012 at 12:23 PM

    Anonymous, please. When I said I loved people, I meant people. I have different feelings for Spam. Just say no.

    Sneakypie9, thanks so much for stopping by. I agree, negativity is destructive, and given the state of the country's current elective season, it feels like it's happening again. So we love more. ;)

      


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