Lent Mentality.

I have written and rewritten just about a million times what is on my heart this Lent, and to be honest I can chalk it up to the words “it is well.” This Lent, I’m taking a little bit of time to let things be well in my heart. I’ve said it over and over and over again, but those three words hold so much power in this heart of mine. I’m allowing my heart to receive a little grace and tell myself, in tangible and intangible ways, that it is well, I am well, He is well.

I’ve always struggled with finding something to give up during this time because, quite frankly, I've felt unworthy. Our sweet Father gave up His Son who gave up His life for me, and in the middle of this season of feeling unworthy of this immaculate love, I’m allowing my heart to feel worthy and cherished and held. I am worthy of this season. I am worthy of a God who would (and does) see my heart right where I’m at. This Lent, rather than giving something up, I’m letting truth seep in. I keep a journal, and if you were to open it to this past week of Lent, you would see it filled with things I have written that I am worthy of: joy, acceptance, love, and, at the very top, the title of “Daughter of the King.” I am worthy of that title, even if I carry it with doubt and apprehension.

This Lent, I’m writing grace and joy and acceptance all over my heart. But it’s hard to be filled with grace when you are stingy with grace. It’s hard to be joyful when you allow worldly things to steal joy from your grasp. It’s hard to allow acceptance into your heart when you fail to accept (and love) difficult people (who happen to have been created by the same hands that created you). During a season when I’m fine-tuning my heart to become one that overflows with heavenly worth, I find myself tied down to people to whom I have given the title of “unworthy” without a second thought. The words of a wise pastor ring through my head constantly: it’s hard to hate someone you pray for. Isn’t that the truth? In this season of Lent I urge you, while you may be giving up different earthly things, to ask God what He’s working on in your heart.

Philippians 3:10 (MSG) says, “I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience His resurrection power, be a partner in His suffering, and go all the way with Him to death itself.”

Those words string together the sacred moments of this season of waiting and preparing for Easter. May we take time during this season to remind our hearts that there is a God who calls us by name, sees our shortcomings, and continues to speak the words “you are worthy” into our lives. May we fall to our knees in adoration of the kind of love that sees our failures and our tired hearts and our trembling hands and calls us by name. May the fragility of this Lent season remind us of one heck of a sacrifice that was made with us in mind. You are worthy, sweet friend. You are worthy.  

words by Maddie Watson and photo by Arianna Taralson