The Spirit immediately drove Jesus out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him (Mark 1.12-14)
Another Lent. It’s almost over. And, too, my walk into the wilderness of my soul.
(Lent is not the only time I dare venture there, yet it is that annual season surpassing all others in its Spirit-inspired-and-insistent demand.)
What do I bring out…bring back to show – to my nearest and dearest or to any other sister or brother, known or stranger – that I am different? Less “self-ed”? More in the image of the One who created me?
A sifting handful of shifting sand of my sometimes-feckless faithfulness?
A dry, weather-worn leaf of my failure to flower in Spirit-fruit?
A shadow of temptations hard to bear bearing hard on my wearied strength?
An echo of howling beasts; my defiant desires protesting the grace of goodness?
Yes, yes, yes, yes. Of my still-broken self, these and more do I, from there, bring here…
Yet, too, the quivered-lips of my resounding, repentant praise for Divine Love’s alway-angelic absolving care.
© 2022 PRA
Illustration: The Temptation in the Wilderness (1898), Briton Rivière (1840-1920)
#wildernesstemptations #theloveofGod #divineforgiveness #praisingGod #thofaithlesssometimesIamGodiseverfaithful
occasional observations of mind and heart, soul and spirit 
Love this Paul! Lent is almost over and I’m still broken too, BUT like you I’m hoping I’m less self-ed too!! I’m happy, thrilled actually that I’m helping people in a myriad of ways, YET I know I could still be doing more! I still have a little bit more time to focus on some goals that could help me do more while still caring for myself!
Love
LikeLike
“I still have a little bit more time to focus on some goals that could help me do more while still caring for myself!” Ah, my dear sister, in this, I sense the essentiality of our striving to maintain balance. Balance between what we do and who we are. Bless you and, as always, carry on!
Love
LikeLike