Ash Wednesday

This cold, dreary Ash Wednesday, I am reflecting on humanity's sin -  my sin - and the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert where he endured Satan's temptation. I am overwhelmed with emotion thinking of the 21 Coptic Christians who were murdered by beheading. I can't fathom it and while our news outlets are all covering this tragedy, it seems like a story. But these are real men with families, children and wives and they were men who loved God and were murdered because of it. These are our brothers. It doesn't feel right to sit and watch the news and maybe my eyes swell with tears and I get choked up, but then I turn off the television and go about my life...it feels like we should be praying continuously for these people, for the terrorist and for the captives. It shouldn't be a story that I just read or listen to and then turn it off and go about my day. I first sat down to write a blog post about how much I love the devotional I'm reading and it has turned into a convicting calling to let God grow my heart not only during this Lent season but grow my everyday life beyond the season of Lent. The routines, the schedules, the way I parent Denson and Eloise, my role as Jonathan's wife, my relationships with my biological brothers and sister but also my brothers and sisters in Christ...and to be more like John the Baptist. We are broken but by God's grace we are saved through Jesus. I pray that by focusing on our sin during Lent, we will be forced to look up to God and seek His kingdom.