"Yet even now, says the LORD, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; rend your hearts and not your clothing. Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from punishment" Joel 2:12-13
I am sometimes guilty of not switching things off. The downstairs light with going to bed....the TV...etc, etc. And the same goes for my mobile phone and my laptop. The difference with those is that sometimes a restart is required. Indeed, in the office, we are forced to restart our laptops at least once a week. It is an opportunity for updates and other 'IT' related stuff. It can be very frustrating when you are in the middle of the a piece of work only to discover you now need to shut everything down. But it is, ultimately, so that the piece of kit is maintained and functions properly - sometimes a reset is what is most needed. And, I suspect, we've all had moments where we've switched something off, waited a few moments, and switched it on again, to try and sort a problem. (It is a relief when that course of action is successful).
Today sees the beginning of Lent - a journey of prayer in preparation for Holy Week and the celebration of Easter.
It is an opportunity for a reset.
It is an opportunity to examine where we are in our faith, in our relationship with God, in our relationship with God's family and in living a life that is honouring to the One who made us, who rescued us and who sustains us.
It is an opportunity to reconnect with Him. To remove the clutter or distractions - the things we turn to when we are stressed or disappointed - and refocus on the One who calls out of darkness and into light.
It is an opportunity for a return. Like the one encouraged in Joel. A fulsome return, which is sincere and honest. A return where we acknowledge what is wrong (as far as we know our own hearts) and seek forgiveness. A return which is personal and without show. A return which is trusting in God's graciousness, mercy and steadfast love.
It is an opportunity to begin afresh - to be renewed.
And of course, we don't need it to be Lent to do that, we know that God's mercies are new every morning. But when was the last time you stopped and, in the words of Psalm 139, asked God to search you and know your heart, to test you, to examine your anxious thoughts, to see if there is any offensive way in you, to lead you in the everlasting way?
Rev Stella