Good morning…

“I guess I view Lent as a season of shaking,” I said as I stepped to the microphone to end our Women’s Lenten Communion Service. I explained that one of my favorite Christmas traditions is cutting down a fresh Virginia pine from a nearby tree farm. We go together as a family, circling around and around to find “our” tree. When we find it, we take turns sawing back and forth, back and forth until the tree falls. Then we drag our tree to a borrowed pick up truck, throw it in the back, and drive it to the tiny barn to pay. As we write our check, the helper grips firmly the tree’s thick trunk and sets the base of our tree on a “shaking machine.” The machine gently, methodically shakes the tree, releasing old pine needles, needles that were once living but now are dry and brittle. Onto the floor fall all of the needles that are no longer attached, no longer living, no longer needed.

For the first time I envision Lent as a season when God invites us on to His “shaking machine.” With gentle, methodic motion, God shakes from us all of the things that are no longer attached, no longer living, no longer needed. The living, unshakable things will remain with us on Easter morning.

A new insight dawns. Instead of me choosing what to give up for Lent this year, I commit to rest my base on God’s “shaking machine” each day. Only God knows what is no longer attached to the life He is growing in me. Only God knows the dry, brittle defenses that have died in me since last Lent. Only God knows the old habits, the ugly attitudes, the selfish motives that are no longer needed.

“One last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern.” The phrase “one last shaking” means a thorough housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable essentials stand clear and uncluttered. Do you see what we’ve got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God. For God is not an indifferent bystander. He’s actively cleaning house, torching all that needs to burn, and he won’t quit until it’s all cleansed (Hebrews 12:27-29, MSG).

I trust that by Easter morning my dry, brittle non-essentials will fall to the ground, exposing God’s lasting, unshakable qualities.

…Sue…