“Perhaps the word “surrender” should be enough for my prayer… Not the surrender of submission to an enemy, but the opposite, the laying down of resistance to the One who loves me infinitely more than I can guess, the One who is more on my side than I am myself. Dwelling on this thought of letting go, and handing myself over to the Spirit will bring me much closer to the experience of Jesus than the word ‘discipline’ which so many of us have been trained to invoke at the beginning of Lent. It should help us smile at our anxious attempts to bring our life under control, the belt tightening resolutions about giving up this or taking on that. What we are called to give up in Lent is control itself!”
-Martin L. Smith, A Season for the Spirit
Indeed. The traditional idea of Lent too often simply reinforced the need, desire, and even superiority of being “in control”. It all breaks down rather quickly in the tumult of life. Thank you for sharing this inspiring and truly helpful message.