Allowing Myself to be Broken

Fasting is an important part of Lent...but if we fast from food without fasting from our selfish desires then we might as well not fast at all.  What God desires from us is to turn ourselves away from our own indulgences and focus on Him as well as on those our around us who are vulnerable and in need. 

We can start in our own families.  Do we have dinner together every night?  What can I do to make the dinner table be a place that welcomes and encourages my family to come together to share the blessings of food, our stories from the day, our dreams for tomorrow?  It's easier to find time to pray by myself than it may be to clear off the table from our weekly projects so that we can all sit down each night as a family to eat supper together.
Perhaps I need to organize my home so that when others enter, there is peace and sense of calm. My home is a refuge, it where my family ends and begins their day; have I created a place where we all feel safe, loved and well cared for; a place that is open and welcoming to old friends or soon to be new friends?  Or do I let my temptation to collect stuff accummulate to the point where I am distracted by the clutter of objects in my home instead of by the memories; of the times we have shared inspiration, hope, laughter, moments of healing?
How about the area around my home? Have I cleaned up the litter, helped my neighbor fix his fence, even if its not in my yard. Have I properly disposed of waste, or respected and learned to work within the ecology of my community, realizing that I have an obligation to take care of the earth and not contribute to it's exploitation through my need to consume out of convenience and greed. After all, the earth and its creation is a reflection of God too. We are called to care for all of God's creation.
Lent is a good time to look at our surrounding environment, whether it be our home or our community, and examine where I have let go of creating a sacred space for my family or for my neighbors because I got caught up in my own concerns. It's a time to look at my past habits and examine them.
Kelly McGovern, who teaches at Denver Catholic Biblical School wrote, "Find the wound that keeps you hungry and thirsting for God.  Take off the dressings of busyness and denial.  Touch it at its most tender spot. And here's the hardest part: acknowledge how it keeps you bound in a cycle of sin.  In your brokeness, call out to God for help."

Let our Lenten fast allow us to focus on God and hear his voice that says to us, "Here I am." God is in my family, in my home and in my communities....how do I reflect his truth? 

Today I am challenged by this biblical passage: "Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the holy ones, exercise hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them.  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Have the same regard for one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly; do not be wise in your own estimation. Do not repay anyone evil for evil; be concerned for what is noble in the sight of all. If possible, on your part, live at peace with all." (Rom. 12:12-18) 

Yes, Lord I am listening!