Meditations for Lent
Last summer, my wife, Abbie, and I went away on a marriage retreat. On the last day, we were walking through the woods at the retreat center and came upon a labyrinth—an ancient, geometric form inspired by the idea of a journey.
The way a labyrinth works is that the pathway winds in one continuous line, moving you close to the center, then away from the center, then back toward the center, and around, until you finally reach your destination in the middle. Abbie and I walked at different paces but eventually made it to the center together. She breathed deeply and said, “Wasn’t that so relaxing?” I responded with a resounding, “No! It was frustrating.”
And it was. I wanted to get to the center, but I found myself pushed back to the edge each time I got close. Though there were no branching paths or dead-ends, I still felt like I was just wandering through a maze. As Abbie and I discussed our very different experiences, we noticed a plaque on the ground in the center of the labyrinth with Proverbs 3:5–6 written on it:
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him,
and he will direct your paths.
And it hit me—We live in a world that can be so confusing and hard to navigate. But when we are aware of our constant need for God and lean into his unending love, life is not a maze. When we commit our ways to him, we cannot get lost. I saw clearly then how the bends in the path had served to slow me down, forced me to reckon with my thoughts and emotions just a little longer, and brought me into a place where I could connect more fully with God’s invitation to me.
As we enter this Lenten season, it’s my hope that we’ll lean into the wisdom of walking the labyrinth, of slowing down to connect with God. Lent is a season when we contemplate our need for him, honestly and intentionally, preparing our hearts to celebrate Jesus’ victory over sin and death at Easter. I’d like to invite you to enter the labyrinth with us over the next six weeks—or at least, a version of one.
This Lent, we’ll be releasing a brief, weekly podcast with guided meditations to help us bring our need for God and God’s heart for us into focus. We encourage you to go for a walk if you are able, or choose another physical activity, to best engage your body, heart, and mind as you listen. Resist the urge to speed through or skip ahead, and lean into the moments of silence with an open heart. We hope this will be an opportunity for us all to slow down and recognize that when we trust in the Lord, even in our deepest need and darkest hours, we cannot get lost.
You can find these weekly meditations below or on our podcast feed each Monday during Lent, beginning March 7th.