Category: Lent 2022

Wednesday, March 9

God Prepares Us

“For I know the plans I have for you” – this is the LORD’S declaration – “plans for your welfare, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will answer you. You will seek Me and find me when you search for Me with all of your heart. —Jeremiah 29: 11-13 (CSB)

There is a song by Daryl Coley called “He’s Preparing Me.” The words simply say: “He’s preparing me for something I cannot handle right now. He’s making me ready just because He cares. He’s providing me with what I need to carry out the next matter in my life.” When I look at my son Devin, I see how God had prepared me to be the mother of a child with autism. How, you might ask?

I worked as a substitute teacher for years in the East Baton Rouge Parish School System. The majority of the time I worked in Special Education Classes. One particular class had children on the autism spectrum. Administration had a hard time getting a substitute teacher for them mainly because the kids didn’t adjust well to change. Plus, substitutes refused to come back because of the behavior problems. However, for some reason the kids and I got along great together.

I learned how to deal with meltdowns as well as how to prevent them. I took the time to learn their daily routine and I did my best not to waver from it. I even learned each child’s quirks, likes and dislikes. If their teacher was out and I was there, the principal would pull me from whatever class I was assigned to and put me with my little friends.

My son Devin was born in November 2004. I knew from the day we brought him home from the hospital this child would be a challenge. He screamed from the time we put him in the car seat until we took him out of it. As a matter of fact, this happened every single time we put him in it. I dreaded having to go anywhere with that child.

As time went on I started noticing little things about Devin that scared me. They were things that reminded me of my little friends: (1) He loved the ceiling fan and anything that spun. (2) He didn’t play with toys; he’d just line them up in neat rows according to shape, size and color. (3) He had meltdowns if you took him out of the bathtub, turned the ceiling fan off, or for any number of strange reasons. Once he was playing with a yellow balloon, but the balloon fell into the neighbor’s yard. They weren’t home, so I told Devin I had a whole bag of yellow balloons. He wasn’t having it. My baby boy had a meltdown that lasted over three hours because he wanted the balloon that fell in the yard next door.

I would look up autism on the internet. Signs of autism: Do not look at you. (Look at me Devin!) Does not smile, (Not my kid, he smiles.) Lines toys up in neat rows. (Aww, what do they know!) I was living in the land of Egypt sitting by the Nile River! I could see the signs clear as day, but I refused to accept them. Devin’s doctor referred us to have his hearing screened, and I was told his hearing was excellent but he had “red flags.”

“Excuse me Mrs. Dickson, but does Devin always flap his hands?” she asked.

“Why yes he does. We call it “the Devin” – it’s his little dance.” I smile.

“I see,” checking off a box on her clipboard.

Red flags are signs of autism, but of course I wasn’t hearing that. Besides, what did she know? She wasn’t a doctor. The words “signs of autism” kept swirling around my head. I decided to shut them all up, so I asked our doctor for a neurology referral. I was determined to prove them all wrong.

The day we went to the neurologist was a Thursday, and on Thursdays Devin saw his speech therapist, Miss Courtney, at Charlie Thomas Head Start Center. That was a big mistake. He screamed the whole ride to the doctor’s office, as I got him out of the van and carried him into the building, while we waited in the waiting area, and when it was time to see the doctor. I looked at her and apologized while explaining. She smiled and reassured me. She asked many questions, and I did my best to answer. To make a long story short, my beautiful boy has autism. It was a hard pill to swallow as I drove home in tears.

God is so awesome because even though it was hard to accept, He prepared me for Devin. Devin has exceeded all my expectations. As a seventeen-year-old young man with autism he has dreams and aspirations of his own. Yes, he still loves ceiling fans, but he’s turning that love into a career. He wants to be an electrician. God had a plan for me, and he has a plan for Devin. My dear friends, God has a plan for each of you, too. The road may be rough but God is preparing the way.

Dear God, you have a plan for each and every one of us. Help us to trust you even when times are hard. Thank you for giving us hope and a future. In Jesus name, amen.

L. Darlene Dickson

Tuesday, March 8

Looking for Easy

Jesus returned from the Jordan River full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. There he was tempted for forty days by the devil. He ate nothing during those days and afterward Jesus was starving. —Luke 4:1-2

I don’t like to go 40 minutes without a little nosh, but 40 days without nutrition?! When I listened to the K-2 Sunday school class ponder this story of Jesus’ temptation during a recent Zoom meeting, they too were drawn to the physical improbability.

Can you really go that long without eating? What about water?! They know, like we do, that Jesus lived in a human body just like ours, and he would have literally been starving without food for so long. (The kids decided he did get to drink water!)

I’m never at my best when I’m hungry and tired, but even if not at his physical best, Jesus stood firm against temptation as the devil offered solutions: food, power, glory.

Hungry, tired or even at my best, I often look for solutions of my own, shortcuts, or better yet efficiencies, ways to do my work or my life faster. Crock pot meals, Target Drive-up, Shipt, Amazon Prime, talk-to-text, email folders and filters, calendar reminders—I use them all. I’m always on the hunt for easy, or at least easier.

We’re not promised easy, no matter how much we want or feel like we deserve it. Sometimes doing hard things is exactly the right thing. I’ve done a lot of hard things over the last couple of years, from the minor, like ziplining and overnight camping with Jane’s Girl Scout troop, to the life-changing, like going back to professional, full-time work. Just living these last two years through the pandemic has been HARD, with capital letters, on us all.

Through it all, God is faithful, God’s love never changes. My awareness and understanding of that love is stronger because of the hard.

I’ll still look for and accept shortcuts in some areas of my life, but with my faith and my family, I will never settle for less than a fully embodied, rich and engaging love leading to deep, lasting joy. Joy isn’t always easy, but it’s here, even on the hard road.

Loving God, gather us in when things are hard. Embrace us, holding us close. Give us strength, give us mercy, give us love. Amen.

Mari Walker

Monday, March 7

Daphne

Those who go to God most high for safety will be protected by the Almighty! I will say to the Lord, “You are my place of safety and protection. You are my God and I trust you.” —Psalm 91:1-2

My mother was born to a nineteen-year-old mother and a father not much older than that. She weighed three and a half pounds when she was born, and she fit into a cigar box, so I have been told.

When she was in the fourth or fifth grade she went from going to 4-month school to 9-month school, so she had to repeat a grade. In high school she played basketball and stayed an extra year to play and to finish up her business classes.

While she was in high school taking Latin classes, she learned how to spell her name correctly. She was named Daphne from a book my grandmother read. Having grown up in Mississippi, her name was always pronounced Daphna, so that is how she spelled her name. She was upset that the teacher told her she was spelling her name incorrectly. When she approached her mother, she was told that Daphne was the correct spelling of her name.

After high school, my mother used her business classes to find a job. She met Harold Dutch and wanted to get married. Her parents thought she was too young, but they were reminded that Mother was older than they were when they married. Mother and Harold lived in Shreveport quite happily until Harold was killed in an automobile accident. He only had a swollen lip, and the other man in the car walked away. Because she was away from her Mississippi home, she had to do everything for the funeral by herself.

She went back to Mississippi and was staying at my grandparents’ home. They were away for the evening and came home to find the house destroyed by a fire. They were all left with the clothes on their backs.

Mother met Harvey Grady and married him. They got married in September before Pearl Harbor in December 1941. Daddy enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He was stationed overseas in Alaska. It was not a state then. Daddy was injured in a fall and re-injured in an airplane bump. He suffered the rest of their 54-year marriage. Their plan was to have three children, with the first being born after three years of marriage. At the point they were about to consider adoption, Mother became pregnant. They had three children eventually, but we are not three years apart as they wanted. We are ten years apart.

My parents were not money rich but were rich in other ways. I can remember my mother being so embarrassed because she had to ask for credit for groceries so we could eat. My dad made only $400 a month, and every other month $125 had to go pay for my paternal grandfather’s nursing home care.

When my mother got into her seventies, she was diagnosed with non-smoker’s lung cancer. She was put into hospice care, and we all took turns being her caregiver. One day she said she wanted to cry. My sister got all ready to have a really good cry. My mother cried about three tears, and she was done. Then my sister had to quickly change her frame of mind. Another time I heard Mother say, “Lord have Mercy!” I asked her, “Lord have Mercy about what?” She said, “Just Lord Have Mercy!”

My mother was resilient, and she knew that the Lord would have mercy on her as he always had in all of the rough paths of her life. She never gave up her belief in a true and loving God even when she knew she was dying.

Loving and Faithful God: Thank you for mothers who are resilient and always believe in your safety and protection no matter how many challenges they face. Help us all to remember that when challenges occur, you are right there crying with us and watching over us. We are so grateful for your love and grace. Amen.

Daphne G. Grady

Sunday, March 6

Lent 1 Reflection Guide – When We Are Offered Shortcuts

Opening

Today we read the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. What do you think are the “Top 5” temptations that people would get challenged with today if they found themselves in a time of trial like Jesus was in this passage?

Scripture

Luke 4:1-13

While reading the passage, listen for all the things Jesus is tempted by and ask yourself how you would react to these temptations.

Scripture Reflection

While we often think of the temptations that Jesus faced in the wilderness as earthly pleasures or frivolous desires, what Jesus is tempted by are the very tools he could use to help carry out the mission God gave him – feeding the hungry, ruling the nations, trusting in God. On their own, these temptations are not bad things, yet Satan offers a shortcut to each of them. While these shortcuts to fulfilling his mission would enable Jesus to skip the long journey ahead, accepting the temptations would also keep Jesus from the people he has been sent to serve. Jesus is called to work with and among people to bring God’s kingdom about authentically – one beloved person at a time. Jesus isn’t called to a life where things are handed to him. In this scripture, we see that true faithfulness says “No” to shortcuts and “Yes” to following God’s pathway, even when the road is rough.

Moment of Silent Reflection

Spend one full minute in silence as you consider the scripture and reflection.

Turn to Wonder

What stuck out to you the most from today’s scripture reading?

Why might it be important that the devil adds the conditional “If you are the Son of God…” to begin his temptations?¹

We believe that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. Thus, these were actual temptations for Jesus (otherwise, Jesus would not fully understand temptation and be able to empathize with us). How are these three scenarios actual temptations for Jesus?

What might it mean that the devil tempts Jesus using Scripture passages?

Read Luke 4:1 and Luke 4:14. How did what happened in verses 1-13 enable Jesus to return “filled with the power of the Spirit”?

Closing

Close your time together in a manner that is typical for you. Consider sharing joys and prayer concerns, then close in prayer.

Holy One,

When the journey is long and winding, guide us.

When there are dangers along the way, guard us.

When we are tempted to lose faith, give us strength,

   so that today and every day,

we can praise your name. Amen.

¹The devil tempts Jesus at the heart of his identity.

Saturday, March 5

The Life and Challenges of a Long-Ago Christian, Part 1

See what love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. —1 John 3:1

Brother Andrew Speaks                                            
Northwestern Greece, 62 AD

Peace be with you, my friend. I am Brother Andrew. For the last three years, my friend Sylvan and I have been going from town to town here in Greece sharing the Good News of the Lord Jesus. In each town, we stay while we are welcome and then move on. Many reject our message, but many believe. One young man in particular, Markos, stands out in my memory. He was an orphan, alone in the world, doing odd jobs for neighbors to get by. He was good natured and cheerful, bright and helpful. One of the first to hear us speak in that town, he was the first to be baptized there. He told us his new faith had changed him forever. Markos asked to join Sylvan and me in spreading God’s word. I told him there would be dangers and challenges to his faith if he followed that path, but he was steadfast.

He soon learned about danger. One morning in the town square, he was surrounded by an angry mob of townspeople who wanted the Christians out of their town. He was cursed and rocks were thrown. He had a hard time escaping them but finally made his way to us. I told him it was time for us to leave his town. Sylvan and I could handle the crowd (we had experience), but to be safe he should go ahead to our next destination. Markos didn’t want to leave us but finally agreed. “You have had your faith challenged here by a mob,” I said. “You will meet many more challenges as you follow the Way.” “I will not be afraid,” Markos assured us as he set out. “My faith is my shield.”

Sometimes the path is easy, Lord, and all goes well. Sometimes the path is hard when difficult challenges come our way. Give us the strength and courage to face the challenges and with your help overcome them. Amen.

Guy Johnson

Friday, March 4

My Holy Spirit Experience

Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of the water and the spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, You must be born again. The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” —John 3:5-7

I had married again when my sons were teenagers, and with my new husband came three young adult daughters. I was blessed to finally have my girls. The oldest daughter, Debbie, is bipolar and at that time her condition was under control with medication. As time went by, life with her became an emotional roller coaster. She was always in need of money, and my husband gave it to her – for rent, buying and repairing a parade of cars – and soon there were three children, different fathers, no marriage and not a lot of support. The problem was that he would give her whatever she asked for and then tell me about it after the fact. I was never part of the decision and felt like I always came in second. This led to resentment, which hurt me far more than either my husband or Debbie. God does work in mysterious ways though, which I learned one December night.

I had attended my Cursillo weekend several years before my marriage and had worked on a couple of teams, which richly blessed me. That December my name was submitted for an upcoming team, but I was not chosen. I was disappointed, but life went on. A few days after Christmas another Debbie incident occurred that deeply upset me. In the middle of the night I awoke and could not go back to sleep. In desperation I began praying, and God and I had several hours of conversation.

A day or two later I got the call that I was on the team, thank you God! When it came time for team assignments, it turned out that there was one too many on the team, so I was assigned to give a “rollo,” a talk, with another person; not sure that had ever happened before. They paired me with Marilyn having no idea that we had a history. We had gone through our divorces together and were each other’s support system, caring for one another, spending many hours together, shedding tears and sharing joys. It is no coincidence that our talk was “Being Christ in Our Environment.” We closed with the song “They’ll Know We are Christians by Our Love.” Those not in the rollo room filled the hallways to hear our witness. If I ever had any doubts, I knew the Holy Spirit was alive and well that day. My problems were not solved, but that experience made my journey lighter.

Dear Lord, help me to remember the times when the Holy Spirit touched my life in very special ways and is with me always. Amen.

Lenni Stickles

Thursday, March 3

Speaking of Empathy

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. —Ephesians 4:2

For the past year I have been part of a group studying Jesus in the Gospels. Last week our lesson centered around the women who went to the tomb only to discover Jesus was not there. They encountered angels who told them not to be afraid. We shared about the angels who have touched our lives.

Memories took me back 45 years. My two sons were in elementary school and I was blessed to be a stay-at-home mom. Suddenly our world was turned upside down when my husband of 12 years, their father, decided he no longer wanted to be married. He moved away to begin his new life, and I was left a single mom to raise my two children.

I was crushed, devastated, worried about how we would survive. It took all I had to just put one foot in front of the other and to make it through one day at a time. In the silence of my worry I kept hearing, “Be still and know that I am God.” He knew what I needed.

Over the next days, weeks and months my life was filled with angels – Lynn, Pat, Rose, Judy, Marilyn and others whose names I do not recall – some just for a moment and others for a while. They were there to listen, hug and hold my hand – to be the footprints in the sand. I remember Lynn when she took us to her house the day my husband packed up his belongings and drove away. And Pat – I was at her house after my son’s swim lesson – it was one of the darkest days. She would not let me leave until she was assured I was OK.

They were the hands and feet of Jesus. Years have gone by, and I no longer have contact but my life is much richer because of them. I wish I could have told them how much their very presence meant. I only hope that I have been that angel in someone else’s life.

Gracious Lord. Thank you for loving me and sending angels in my time of need. Open my eyes and ears to know when someone needs me to listen, care, and show your love. Amen.

Lenni Stickles

Wednesday, March 2

Ash Wednesday

So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. … When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. —Matthew 6:2-4 and 16-18 (NIV)

What is Ash Wednesday? What is the reason we celebrate this event? Why should we never stop remembering this season?

Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, which lasts 40 days (not including Sundays). It is described as a time of preparation and an opportunity to go deeper with God. It is a period of personal reflection that prepares people’s hearts and minds for Good Friday and Easter. This day is also marked by service of penitence and turning away from our sins. The three main things we focus on are fasting, praying and doing.

The reason we celebrate is to pray and focus on our need for forgiveness from God. The ashes on our foreheads symbolize our grief for the things we have done wrong and the differences between imperfect people and a perfect God.

The reason Ash Wednesday should be honored every year is to slow us down and make more room for Jesus in our lives.

To me, these Scriptures represent that God knows everything we do, and we need not prove what we do to our fellow man.

Holy and Loving God, thank you for this season. Be with us today and throughout Lent as we prepare our hearts and minds for Good Friday and Easter. Amen.

Kathleen Adams