Lent: 2nd Sunday

The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it; (Psalm 24:1)

But the LORD said to me, "Do not say, 'I am too young.' You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you," declares the LORD. (Jer. 1:7-8)

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. (1 Cor. 3:11)

Whoever does God's will is my brother and sister and mother. (Mark 3:35)

In this time of Lent, I can easily remind myself of the ways in which I sabotage my life and my relationship with my God. I too often, however, forget another dimension to these Lenten reflections - I am in God's care, called by God's voice, a part of God's family, formed in the foundation of Jesus Christ. I need to hear these things not only at this point of the Christian year, but also during this season of my life. My future is uncertain. We are wrestling with a few unexpected job opportunities opening up and several others not even acknowledging my knocks at the door. I see friends and colleagues doing well, finding teaching jobs and staying active in the academic conversations, and I feel a sense of so much regret about the career paths I've walked. I often wish I had done things differently. But, then I find unexpected opportunities and I wonder how the paths I have walked have prepared me for what lies ahead. I am not too sure about what lies ahead, though. In addition to career paths for me, there are other things on our plates that I am not ready to put on the blog. All this to say, I need to remember that whatever the future brings, whatever regrets I may have, however much I sabotage things, "the earth is the Lord's", and this Lord is with me and will rescue me.