As with any journey we may be on, whether a holiday trip, a much-needed vacation with family and friends, or a shopping excursion that promises to give us the best deal, we may tend to ask the question, “Are we there yet?” The same can be true as we journey through Lent. We start out with our final destination in mind: being in a different place than we are now by passing through Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection and utilizing the much-needed road maps of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving. And we know exactly what the final outcome will be…or do we?
What we think the outcome will be and what actually happens is truly the opportunity for conversion in us, not necessarily the final destination. Let’s take a great example from 1 Chronicles 28:11-19, where David thought he was tasked with making arrangements to build the first temple in Jerusalem. So he began his journey…so he thought. God, however, had other plans and actually desired David’s son, Solomon, to build the temple. Although this was not what David thought the final outcome of his journey would be, he accepted the role that God had assigned to him with a grateful heart and supported all those in their efforts to complete this great feat!
As our Lenten journey slowly comes to a close, are we still asking ourselves the question, “Are we there yet?” or are we allowing God to amaze us with His wonderful detours to our road map, making our final destination better than we ever could have imagined?
Rose Talbot-Babey, Coordinator of Childhood Faith Formation
