A recent rain brought crisp, clean air to Southern California. What a blessing! Before the deluge, it seemed as if there was a pall of dust over and around. Now, it’s a joy to breathe deeply and enjoy the outdoor air once more.

During this time of Lent, I’m reminded of what a blessing it is to clear the air with God, too. Throughout the rest of the year, we lift up problems, pain, anger, and other ‘baggage’ to Our Lord in prayer. Our relationship with the Lord can become mighty one-sided and stilted because of the way we communicate, emphasizing our problems and down-playing our praise.

But now, as we prepare for the ultimate celebration that is Easter, we take time to reflect upon our actions and thoughts of the year-gone-by. We pray for renewal. We pray for cleansing. We pray that the ‘air’ between us and God will be cleared once more, so that we may more fully enjoy our relationship with Our Creator and acquire more insight, wisdom, and courage to walk closely with Him in the days and months ahead.

How deeply we can breathe in God’s Spirit and love when we’ve cleared the air in prayer!

Blessings for the day – and Lent,

Maureen