Lenten Love Letters
Lent is swiftly approaching. Last year, I found that Resistance is Lenten. It was a wonderful way to journey through Lent and beyond.
Love. God so loved us, he sent Jesus to us, to teach us love, whether or not we deserved it. Jesus so loved us that he endured much to teach us love and encourage us to live love. Jesus loved us so much that he died for us so that our sins can be forgiven. Lent is about love.
Throughout Lent, I will be focusing on love, and expressing that love to others- both through love letters and through everyday interactions. Some love letters will be easy to write. Some will be more difficult. Some may not be read at all, because they will be to people whom I love, but may not feel the same way toward me at this time - or will be to people I wished I could have expressed more love to while they were alive. Some may be completely awkward, as they will be to people who might consider me completely unimportant in their life. Some letters will appear on my blog, some most likely won't, as I wouldn't want to completely bore you to death or overwhelm you with warm, squishy feelings.
I will honor God and some amazing people through Lenten love letters to people I love and admire who are or have been blessings in my life.
If you were to write a Lenten Love Letter or forty, to whom would you write? Can you share a little love this Lent?
This year, in thinking about a possible Lenten discipline, the need to write letters to people in my life became quite overwhelming. Forty letters in forty days (not including Sundays). And not just any letters - love letters.
This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. (John 3:16, Message)
[Jesus said,] I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. (John 13:34 NRSV)
Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him. (Romans 5: 6-8, Message)
Love. God so loved us, he sent Jesus to us, to teach us love, whether or not we deserved it. Jesus so loved us that he endured much to teach us love and encourage us to live love. Jesus loved us so much that he died for us so that our sins can be forgiven. Lent is about love.
Throughout Lent, I will be focusing on love, and expressing that love to others- both through love letters and through everyday interactions. Some love letters will be easy to write. Some will be more difficult. Some may not be read at all, because they will be to people whom I love, but may not feel the same way toward me at this time - or will be to people I wished I could have expressed more love to while they were alive. Some may be completely awkward, as they will be to people who might consider me completely unimportant in their life. Some letters will appear on my blog, some most likely won't, as I wouldn't want to completely bore you to death or overwhelm you with warm, squishy feelings.
Amazing Love, how can it be, that you my King would die for me? Amazing Love, I know it's true. It is my joy to honor You. In all I do, I honor you. ("You Are My King" lyrics)
I will honor God and some amazing people through Lenten love letters to people I love and admire who are or have been blessings in my life.
If you were to write a Lenten Love Letter or forty, to whom would you write? Can you share a little love this Lent?
I'm visiting from Rachel Held Evans and I wanted to encourage you that this is a lovely Lenten discipline. I love to write letters and cards. Letter writing is truly a lost art and I'm praying for God to bless you with words, energy, and courage to write 40 love letters in 40 days. Eshet Chayil!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Osheta!
DeleteFound you through your post on http://www.reclaimingthemind.org/blog/2012/02/a-short-history-of-lent/
ReplyDeleteI was intrigued by your idea of writing Lenten letters
and now that I have read more of your heart on it, I think I am in as well! Thanks for the wonderful idea- I am always looking for more practical ways to love like Jesus. I think doing this in preparation for celebrating His most amazing act of love towards us has a perfect symmetry.
Thanks, Melissa! I'd love to hear anything you have to share after writing your letters. I wrote and sent my first letter today - one of the more difficult ones for me.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am venturing over from Rachel Held Evans's blog. :) What a beautiful idea. I usually like to sacrifice something (this yr I'm doing the 40 days of water, fasting from all drinks besides water for Lent), and I like to take something up as well-a practice, a discipline, whatever it may be. I've been struggling as of late to discover what I wanted to take up. I think I may just borrow your idea. :-) Writing has always been one of the ways I worship, so this may be the challenge God has put on my heart for this season of Lent!
ReplyDeleteMay you be blessed during this journey you take this Lent- may God give you love, strength, and courage to carry on this mighty task!
This is my Lenten Challenge this year and I am loving it. I feel that after so many years of giving up things like candy, chocolate, wine, etc - that this is a different challenge. Showing appreciation for those around us who bless us by writing them a letter. A true testament to a time of renewal, transformation and a connection with our faith and surrender to God.
ReplyDeletepve