Living in the Weeds
"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” — Matthew 28:20
As I contemplate the theme of this year's Lenten series—Wilderness—I'm reminded of a post from John Pavlovitz's blog that I read on Facebook recently titled, "Everyone around you is grieving. Go easy." I love that he highlights some of the darker aspects of humanity we all know too well, the uncomfortable or awkward or painful things many of us rarely share fully with the public—the "collateral damage of living," as he calls it.
As a fellow "struggler," this concept resonates deeply with me. When I find myself living in the weeds of my own personal 'wilderness,' whether through grief, pain, illness, shame, insecurity, stress, fatigue, worry, exhaustion, guilt, etc., it can be incredibly hard to find the light, to see the big picture, or to feel God's presence when I really need it the most.
The good news is that I know I am not alone. Even when my personal wilderness may feel overwhelmingly lonely or exhausting at times, Matthew 28:20 reminds me that God is with me always. And in the spirit of solidarity, I find comfort in the fact that it's not just me—everyone around me is living in the weeds of their own personal wilderness, too. I remind myself that "collateral damage" is a part of life, whether we choose to address it openly or not. Wilderness is a part of the journey and living in the weeds does not have to be as dark or lonely as I perceive it to be at times.
I pray this Lenten series helps each of us find a little comfort amid the uncomfortable, and perhaps the courage to connect to other fellow Christians who know all too well what it's like living in the weeds.
