On Fat Tuesday, especially in New Orleans, many people will let it all
hang out, so to speak, and then tomorrow, they will begin a 40-day period of
intense self-examination leading up to Easter. I have no experience with Mardi
Gras, other than what I’ve seen in movies, news stories, and books, and what I’ve
heard a few people talk about. For many years, I similarly ignored Lent. Now my
life is different.
I grew up in a Southern Baptist church where Lent was not officially
observed. When I married, I joined a United
Methodist church and learned something about it, but I wasn’t really paying attention
until 1994, when I was swooped into the presence of the real and powerful God.
Ever since then, Lent has been very important to me. March 24 is my 20th birthday
as a child of God, and that is one reason Lent has special meaning to me this
year. I have returned to the Baptist faith, and each year, our pastor leads
those of us who want to participate through 40 days of prayer, study, and
sacrifice.
About three years ago, after a divorce, I wound up
living with my elderly mother. She needs a great deal of help now, as she is
almost 98 years old. She has a terrible time getting around—spends her time in
a wheelchair—and is almost completely deaf; she suffers from senile dementia
and congestive heart failure. She is angry sometimes that she cannot do things
for herself. Sometimes she cries, and sometimes she is demanding. Sometimes,
though, she seems like her old self. She has to have help doing everything. It
is hard, and I am thankful to have some good help.
Yesterday, I was feeling bone-tired and a little impatient. I prayed
that God would give me courage, patience, peace, and joy. Mother was sleeping.
A quiet answer came slipping into my heart, a silent whisper hovering over her
silver hair, saying, “This is my lamb.
Feed this lamb.” My view of her changed, and my heart was pierced.
This afternoon, Mother looked in a mirror and made a face at herself. “I
look awful,” she said.
I said, “No, I think you look like one of God’s lambs.” She laughed.
I think my sacrificial service during this Lenten period will be to
study John 21:15-18, to begin with, and try to understand what Jesus means by
sacrificial service as it applies to my life. I want to know what is deeply
involved in that whispered “Feed this
lamb.”
*I borrowed the picture of God's lamb from freefoto.com
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