Lent, Day Seventeen

STEP ONE: BREATHE

Take a deep, cleansing breath. Allow the air to fill your lungs and expand your body. Exhale and empty yourself into the room. Repeat three times - once for the one who Created you, once for the Incarnate One who walks beside you, and once for the Spirit whose life fills your being.

STEP TWO: DWELL IN WORD

The Parable of the Dandelion:

dandelion+seed+head.JPG

The Kingdom of God is as if someone blew the seed head off a dandelion causing dozens of fluffy seed parachutes to scatter over their lawn. Each tiny seed that floats upon the wind will find a way to the ground. It will take root and grow into a dandelion. Soon, the lawn will produce more dandelion flowers.  

 

These flowers will continue to multiply as each dandelion eventually turns into a seed head. With more breath and the wind, additional seed parachutes will also scatter. The cycle continues until yellow-orange dandelions carpet the entire lawn. I tell you, it won’t be long until the dandelions leave that yard and multiply throughout the neighborhood.  

 

 

A Question to Ponder: 

How might God be present and working in the things that you label as weeds and disregard as worthless?

 


STEP THREE: PRAY

Gracious God,

your love is contagious. Try as I might contain your love as a private treasure, it moves me to share with others. Your loving presence will not rest for long. Instead of resisting or limiting or being stingy with your grace, forgiveness, and compassion, motivate me to increased generosity. Strengthen my giving so that others might know of your love through my words and deeds. Let me not stop. Guide my living according to your radical hospitality. Use me to love others—family, friends, strangers, enemies.

Through Jesus Christ, Amen.


Copyright 2020. Walt Lichtenberger. Permission granted to share with family and friends.