Saturday After Ash Wednesday

Isaiah 58: 9b-14, Psalm 86, Luke 5: 27-32

Wouldn’t it be nice if our lives had a “reset” button?

We could go back to that moment just before we pushed “send” on an irrevocable and unkind email message. We could get out of that corner we procrastinated ourselves into, and finish the project within its deadline. We could rethink that moment when we decided to go through the amber light after it had turned red. We could return to that day when we decided to leave college because of a tempting job offer.

Alas, I don’t think God can change any of those situations for us. We have to live with the consequences of our actions.

On the other hand, I do believe that God offers us a “reset button” of a different kind. God’s grace and forgiveness are always available to those who humbly ask. No matter what the action, if we ask for God’s help we can learn how to work with the consequences, knowing that God’s grace comes to the truly repentant. The Confession in the Morning Prayer service speaks of “things done and left undone” and asks God to restore those who are penitent.

So during this Lenten season, perhaps we can learn to use God’s “reset button” before we need it. Maybe if we think “reset” before undertaking an action that might be harmful to ourselves or others, God’s grace and love will protect us from ourselves. And we will learn to love and trust God more fully.

Amen

Ginger Greene