Day One: Lent and the Gift of Beginnings

Lent and the Gift of Beginnings

Happy Ash Wednesday! Okay, that might sound like a strange thing to say, but I love Lent. So, welcome to Lent 2025!

This year, I’m committing to daily emails throughout Lent as we journey toward Easter. The theme? Gratitude. Every day, I’ll share a word of the day that I’m grateful to God for, along with some reflections.

In addition, I’ll be sharing 10 extra devotionals based on our church theme, “Steadfast Love: A Lenten Playlist.” Each will pair a secular song with a devotion written by the UMC Global Board of Discipleship. Today’s post will likely be the longest as I set everything up.

Lent

Why is Lent so exciting to me? It’s a season to refocus on our spiritual discipline and discipleship, culminating in Easter. Yes, I know—we should be doing this all the time. But how’s that going for you?

Sometimes, we need a reminder to start again. That’s what Ash Wednesday is: the first day of practice for our 40-day journey. Think of it as the opening day of Lent.

Direction

This year, I’m shaking things up by keeping a gratitude journal—and sharing it with you. Every day will feature a word of the day with reflections on what it means to me.

Now, I’ll be honest: I’ve never been great at consistently writing a gratitude journal. But something about this season makes me want to be more intentional in recognizing the goodness of God around

me.

I may not be an expert in this practice, but one thing I do know? Gratitude changes us. It opens our eyes, shifts our perspective, and reminds us that God is constantly at work in our lives. And let’s be honest—it’s also fun to say we need an attitude of gratitude.

One thing I’m making central in this process is ensuring my gratitude goes where it truly belongs—to God. It’s easy to credit our blessings to hard work, good timing, or just plain luck. But as I shared in a recent sermon, God is constantly pouring out His love and grace, yet too often, we act like those gifts come from somewhere else.

What I really said was: God is always doing impressive things that have the power to entertain us, while we’re busy trying to entertain ourselves.

So, this Lent, I’m making it a point to stop and say, Thank You, Lord. I see You in this.

Day 1: Beginnings

And today, on Day 1 of this journey, I find myself especially thankful for beginnings.

Lent itself is a beginning—a season of reflection, renewal, and a chance to draw closer to God. But through Christ, every moment is an opportunity for a fresh start. Repentance and forgiveness remind us that no matter what’s behind us, God’s grace makes a way forward.

Every new beginning means something else has ended, but in Christ, it’s never just an ending—it’s always an invitation to growth, transformation, and deeper love. The joy of getting another start, being forgiven, and trying again is truly remarkable.

Try again. Try again. Try again. No, seriously—try again.

I’m encouraged not to fear failure because I can try again. One thing I’ve observed over time is that many Christians feel paralyzed by the fear of not doing what God wants them to do. Some may say they are simply worried about sin.

But this isn’t about ignoring God’s will—it’s about remembering His mercy, grace, and forgiveness.

If our understanding of God stops at fear, we are falling short of the full picture. We should never be paralyzed by fear but emboldened by the opportunity for a new beginning—to keep striving, keep growing, and keep becoming more like Christ.

So here’s to the journey ahead—one day at a time, one beginning at a time, with eyes open to God’s gifts and a heart ready to say, Thank You.

Steadfast Love: A Lenten Playlist

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season of forty days (minus Sundays) during which we prepare ourselves for the events of Holy Week and Easter. We start the journey of Lent with confession, pardon, and the imposition of ashes, a reminder of our mortality. Though this can often feel like a serious service, Psalm 51:1 says, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love.” We begin Lent with the reminder that God’s love is steadfast—it never fails. In words like those of Coldplay’s “Fix You,” God’s love is like a light that guides us home, ignites our bones, and fixes us, putting us back together for relationship with God and one another. As you listen to Coldplay’s “Fix You,” consider where you notice God’s love reaching out and guiding you home.

Have a blessed day. The Vandalia First United Methodist Church does have an Ash Wednesday service tonight, March 5,2025, at 6:30.