Christianity Oasis Forum

[Lani]

"To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven" Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV)


Ash Wednesday falls on February 13 this year. In the space of only 50 days, we rush from the Christmas joy of birth and life to the solemn imposition of ashes and reminder of death. How in the word do we get from here to there?

I have always fought the temptation to leap directly from Christmas to Easter, stopping only for a quick pancake on Fat Tuesday. I'm more comfortable celebrating the birth and then the rebirth of our Savior than contemplating the sacrificial days in between.

But this year's swift transition reminds me that God calls us to both places. We are God's beloved children in both light and dark times. maybe it's easy to connect to the Christ child, cradled in his mother's arms, or to the risen Christ, surrounded by elated disciples. It is harder to give thanks for ashes.

Where are you most comfortable?
Are you more drawn to the celebration or the silence?
This year The Upper Room celebrates the rich and ongoing journey of El Aposento Alto, our Spanish language edition, which has been in print for 75 years. As I anticipate this year's Lenten season, I play to challenge myself to reflect daily on the richness of the journey, as well as on the destination.

This year I will seek to step back and honor each day that passes. The meditations of this issue lead from the joy of Epiphany to the penitence of Lent. As we move quickly from one season to the next, these words remind us that our connection to God is constant. We are beloved children in darkness and in light, and in all the seasons in between.



By: Sarah W. publisher
Source: Upper Room Daily Devotional Jan-Feb 2013 Intro