Lent started for me four weeks ago when I received
the news that our parish rectory suffered major water damage due to a frozen
pipe. I shared with our people that I was heart broken. For the past eighteen months, a group of
dedicated volunteers have planned to restore the former convent into a hospice
home. Now this parish faces another awesome challenge to discern what does
Jesus want us to do with the rectory. The initial response is to dry out the
damage, assess what it will take to restore the structure and decide what
direction is best for the future of the parish. The possibilities can be
overwhelming or depending on your perspective an exciting new opportunity.
So this morning is ash Wednesday, and let me suggest
that you might want to “give up worry” for Lent.
Lesson #1: Just focus on
today. Jesus says, "Do not worry about tomorrow. For tomorrow will bring
worries of its own. Today's trouble is enough for today." Dr. Seuss
explained, "Step with care and great tact, and remember that life's a
great balancing act." That said, sometimes we make it worse on ourselves.
Sometimes we just make up extra stuff to worry about, like what might happen tomorrow or what could happen day after tomorrow. Dr.
Seuss explains, "I've heard
there are troubles of more than one kind; some come from ahead, and some come
from behind. But I've brought a big bat. I'm all ready, you see; now my
troubles are going to have trouble with me!"
Lesson #2: Realize that
worry is a waste of time. Jesus says, "Can any of you by worrying add a
single hour to your span of life?" Can we? No. We can't worry a mistake
away. Harsh words or actions can't be taken back. And worrying about it simply
takes the focus away from what we should be doing: working to move forward and
making things right. The irony is that if we stop worrying, we might be able to
take some steps forward on the things we are worried about! Dr. Seuss adds,
"When things start happening, don't worry, don't stew, just go right along
and you'll start happening.
Lesson #3: We have no reason
to worry for we are loved and worthy exactly as God designed us. Jesus taught:
"Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor
spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of
these."
Jesus says, look, if God
dresses these little flowers so beautifully, will he not even more clothe you,
you of little faith? Bottom line: humans and lilies are not that different. We
are both creatures molded from God's hands. We are both exquisite and perfect
just as we are. Most importantly, we are loved and we are worthy. The main
difference is that the lilies know it, and we don't.
Imagine this morning on this
first day of Lent: the dawn is beginning to break, the skies are lightening,
not quite its cloudy in western New York, the birds are beginning to chirp, and
the little lily raises its beautiful face to the morning sun and says, "I
feel fat. I hate what I'm wearing. Everyone hates me.” No, a lily is not going
to say that. But we will. We will because we just can't trust the gift we've
been given. Unlike human beings, lilies know without a doubt they are loved and
worthy and beautiful exactly as they are made. There's no worry that they
should be something they are not. There is no worry about where they fall short
because every moment of their lives is spent living their gift--living simply
as God designed them to be. As Dr. Seuss said, "Why fit in when you were
born to stand out!"
Let us pray: “The Lord is my
shepherd. Goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I
will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23.
Lord, I pray for all my
Sonshine Friends that you remind them we are your beautiful, beloved children
of God. Do we not trust? Do we not have the faith that we will be cared for
like the lilies of the field or the tiniest of creatures? What is the old
saying? Worry or believe. You can't do both.
