Day Three; Our Journey Together
Written by Jennifer Stanley
When I wake up in the morning, I DON’T think to myself, “Gee, I really want to go somewhere and make my body do things that cause my heart to pump harder, sweat to drip, and my lungs to gasp for oxygen.” Granted, when I’m finished with a good workout, I always feel better and am glad I did it, but motivation for these things has never come easy. Over the years, I’ve exercised in group fitness settings and gone at it solo depending on the season of life and how my schedule cooperates. Here’s what I’ve learned;
Doing something hard is made easier when shared with other people.
I push myself harder. I do more than I thought possible. I don’t quit and I accomplish more when I’m surrounded by other people working toward the same goal. Whatever the challenge, when we journey together, we are are more likely to show up, dig deep, and accomplish our goals.
The forty days of Lent are no different. Each year, we are given an opportunity to dive deeper into Jesus’ story. This year, more specifically, we are invited to show up here each day and consider familiar and new pathways (also called disciplines) to draw near to God.
Some days we might not feel like showing up.
Some of the suggestions might make us uncomfortable.
Some weeks will be harder than others.
But, we are in this together. We are all striving for the same goal; to know Jesus more deeply, more honestly, and more fully. This Easter we want to experience the resurrection like never before.
Months ago, when our Writer’s Circle and CW staff began thinking about this project, we realized very quickly the impact it could have on the life of our church and community. Of course, as individuals we will all approach the daily readings differently. Some will read in the morning, others in the evening. Some will get hooked on a particular pathway while others will give it a try and move on to the next. Some will quickly see impact on their daily life and others will notice a more quiet transformation. But when we multiply that by 10 people or 100 or 500…there is really only one way to describe it: MASSIVE HOLY POTENTIAL.
Can you imagine the love that will be unleashed when an entire church family, friends, and neighbors are showing up each day with the purpose of knowing Jesus more deeply, honestly, and fully; experiencing the resurrection like never before?
This journey through Lent will be good and powerful for you as an individual. I promise. But, share it with your spouse, children, family, friends, neighbors and church, and its impact multiplies in an exponential math that only God can manage.
Personally, I need you to journey with me. I need to know that I’m not alone on this journey through Lent. Some days will be easy and joyful and no problem! But other days might be hard. I might get busy. I might get anxious or depressed. I might want to give up.
But I won’t. I won’t quit because we are in this together. We are part of this massive holy potential and that is something I don’t want to miss.
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Write this Way: Ask God to show you who you could invite to share this journey with you, then do it. Invite him/her to meet for coffee or a phone call every so often to talk about your thoughts and experiences. Reflect in your notebook; how would sharing this journey be an encouragement to you and others?
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About the Author
Jennifer Stanley serves as Creative Director at Commonway church. She works to bring creative projects to life utilizing teams and talent from within the church family. Jennifer also enjoys her fashion business, traveling to new places with her family, singing, and writing.
