Steps

I remember the first time my husband and I decided, in an attempt to save money, to lay the flooring in our last home.  When anyone attempts to begin a similar undertaking, we all know how important it is to just follow all the steps.  You don’t get to a quality finished project by passing over some of the steps, thinking you can complete it quicker or attempt other ways to cut corners.  Believe it or not, we finished that project together with an amazing result (and still speaking to each other).  And, it gave us confidence to repeat those steps for the other rooms in our home, aware of how important they were to our success.  When I reflect on the steps it takes to walk towards Jesus on the Cross during this Lenten Season, let’s both remember this is not a sprint – it’s a marathon!  So how do we know what steps to follow to bring ourselves closer to Jesus?  You probably know the obvious ones – the ones we talk about every Lent – prayer, fasting, alms, giving up an addiction or using our time to reach out to someone in need.  But maybe this year, we can look at our steps a little differently and reach a more satisfying Lenten goal of walking by Jesus’ side and growing our relationship with Him.   My choice this Lent was to invite two good friends from church to meet each week during Lent to study and discuss “Under the Olive Tree”, a 2025 Lent devotional by Blessed is She (www.blessedisshe.net).  I feel closer on my journey with Jesus when I can share my thoughts with others, while learning about how they are walking their own path with Jesus.  What could you do differently this Lent?  Are you trying to take a short cut on your walk with Him?  Maybe you can even feel Jesus’ gentle tug on your heart to change your steps and have a much holier experience.  Pick up His set of directions and consider doing something more than the norm this year too.  You may not have the ability to meet in a small group, but maybe purchasing a Lenten devotional, or going online to find something that will give you meaningful steps as you walk on this journey to the Cross.  You could even phone a friend!  Jesus and I pray you will step into a new journey starting this week.  I also hope you will consider sharing your thoughts by emailing me at crossesinthesky@gmail.com.  Let me know what steps you’re following to walk beside Jesus.

“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21