​This morning as I was walking our little dog Libby, I began to think about Lent which will

soon be starting. Ministers always think about these seasons much further ahead than

others. For most of us our minds are still in the cold weather but I have seen at least one

snowdrop in my flower beds and that gives me hope that Spring is on the way!
As I took my morning walk, I thought of Jesus walking the path to the cross.

What was it like for him to know what was ahead and yet stay steadfast despite surely

overwhelming emotion? In the garden of Gethsemane Jesus prayed so earnestly to accept

his Father’s will that his sweat became like drops of blood (Luke 22:44). We remember

that from the cross Jesus cried ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ as his

agony and pain clouded his thinking. Jesus was not unaware that the cross was coming. He told his disciples that his suffering was to be expected (Mark 8:31). He tried to help them accept that victory would not come without cost. As we take steps each day in our lives we are faced with challenges too. Perhaps some of us feel the ache of age, the quiet of loneliness and the pain of illness. Perhaps broken relationships, addictions, challenges we never expected to face, responsibilities that mount up and so much more seek to overcome us. Thankfully we have a Saviour who goes before us. Jesus took on our infirmities, was willing to bear our burdens and leads us on our most difficult paths. Each step we take we have a Saviour walking hand in hand with us. Take time to listen to his love, to allow it to flow over you and bring healing into your cracked places. Make space during this Winter and Lenten Season to read even small bits of Jesus story. Remind yourself of hisroad to the cross and his ultimate victory! Start with one of the gospels and maybe read just a small bit every day. Allow yourself to regularly look forward to listening and hearing from God. You will find that as God’s presence grows bigger in your life and you become more aware of him beside you, your worries might just start looking smaller. I do not wish to diminish real worries and struggles but to encourage you to not let the difficulty prevent you from feeling the warmth of the resurrection! Though we know the cross was brutal and inhumane, the power of the resurrection has triumphed! The overcoming of evil and our sin has the power to change lives; the power to change our life. The message of the cross is: do not give up! We serve a risen Lord who is alive today! May God’s abundant love and grace be evident to you now and always.