“The Lord God formed man out of the clay of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and so man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7)

It is fitting that we begin our Lenten journey at the beginning. God formed man and breathed life into him. God is the source of all life. Our being began with Him, and it is He who sustains us as living beings.

But are we as alive as we could be? Not always.  We can get caught up at times in the messiness of life, the stuff that frustrates us to the point of anger, or resentment, to pettiness, callous words , we may even seek revenge. All these things, and so much more, can cloud our thoughts and harden our hearts, not just toward ourselves and others, but also toward God.  None of these things comes from God.  But if we follow through and act on any of them, they will bring us to a place of loneliness, bitterness, emptiness and desolation. 

Lent is a time to refocus, to spend time with God, in silence, to listen to what He wants to relate to us; to allow Him to bring us to fullness of life.

We need to remember that each one of us is a beloved child of God. We only need to ask, and if we genuinely turn to Him, He will breathe new life into us. He will forgive us, give us new hearts, make us whole and white as snow.