This Lenten Season

Today was my assigned day for the Lenten devotional for Hollywood UMC:

Philippians 3:17 – 4:1

Agree together, my friends, to follow my example. You have us for a model; watch those whose way of life conforms to it. 

 

Friends volunteering at the HUMC Tuesday Lunch in 2019

One of the losses I’ve grieved the most in the past two years is the loss of my in-person volunteering experiences. Yes, I’ve found ways to volunteer from home since the pandemic began but I have not been able to recreate the time spent in the company of the people I volunteered with. I miss them. I miss the conversations, the hugs, the smiles, the venting sessions, the tears, the community. I had friends at my sister’s middle school where I chaperoned dances and cleaned out filing cabinets. I had friends at Planned Parenthood where I folded letters and addressed en
velopes. I had friends at Hollywood UMC’s Tuesday lunch program. Friends who knew me, knew my family, friends who supported me in ways I didn’t even know I needed supporting. 

 

And it’s true, I still have those friends. The people are not gone. But the time we spent together, in close physical proximity, disappeared in the blink of an eye. I haven’t seen some of those friends in person in almost two years. I haven’t hugged them. I haven’t seen the lines around their eyes crinkle at a story. I haven’t sat quietly together as we worked. And that changes a person. That has changed me. 

 

However, that change isn’t all bad. In this Bible passage Paul instructs us to “keep track of those you see running this same course, headed for this same goal” (The Message) and I think about that when I think about these people I volunteered with. Whether we worked together at church or at school or somewhere else, we all worked for a common purpose, to help others. We gave of our time, our selves, for others, to others. These are my people, no matter where we are, what we are doing. And when I talk to them today (thank goodness for social media, telephones, and yes, good old-fashioned paper and stamps), I still know we are running the same course. Their lives, and mine, still show that and they are inspiration for me to keep going. We share our love for Christ, and our hope for this Lenten season, through our actions. Through our lives. I’m grateful for them. I’m grateful for Paul’s reminder to take note of those who conform to the model set before us. Lent is a good reminder to take time to recommit to sharing our love, and to creating community with those who strive toward that same goal. 

 

Dear Lord – Thank you for examples, whether they’re from Paul in Philippians or from people in our lives today. And please Lord, remind us that one day our communities will be able to be together in-person more and more. It is that hope, and your love, that sustains me, and so many others, through this particular Lenten season.