From The Inside Out

     Since Ash Wednesday, I have been focusing my scripture reading and prayer on the readings for Lent. I created this Zentangle tile after my prayer time this morning.  It is interesting to see how my right brain interprets what I had absorbed from my reflections and prayer time when I put my pen to the tile.
     Lent had always made me feel uncomfortable.Fasting. Prayer. Almsgiving. Itʼs a lot of work, struggling and wrestling with attitudes Iʼd just as soon keep buried deep inside. In my heart, however, I know there are issues that I need to work on. When Lent started this year, I decided to dive right in, to leave my comfort zone. I asked the Lord to show me what is in me that is not right. What actions, thoughts, motivations are not pleasing to him? Where do I need to grow? Are there sins in my life I had grown numb to?
     For me, the area upon which I most need Godʼs grace and cleansing is fear. I realize that my attitude of fear affects me, it affects other people in my life, and most importantly, it is against God. I know that I cannot change this sinful attitude on my own. Only God can reach deep into my heart and remove this harmful behavior. Only he can provide this from-the-inside-out cleansing.  
     How is your Lenten journey going?  Is there an area in your life where you need God's healing grace?   There are still five weeks left in Lent.  We need only seek him, ask him.  He is waiting for our knock.  He wants to cleanse us of the attitudes that keep us chained to sin in our life, that keep us from enjoying all the good things he has for us.  “Ask, and it shall be given unto you, seek, and you shall find, knock, and the door shall be opened unto you.” Matthew 7:7
     Zentangle starts with one stroke. I seldom know where that stroke will lead, what patterns will emerge, or what the finished tile will look like. Yet, taking that next stroke, and the next, drawing from somewhere inside me, my artwork comes alive on the paper. A beautiful tile develops.  So it is with Lent. We take one step at a time towards God. As we move away from our comfort zone and  toward him, he meets us in our uncertainty and vulnerability.  He replaces our sin with his grace.  We need only take that first step, and let him lead us the rest of the way to wholeness.
“I have come in order that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
Blessings,
lynda

Note:  Tangles used in today's Zentangle are Flormeoba, Strircles, and Pepper Tangleation. As I was creating this tile, I wasn't aware that all of the tangles I had chosen to use had spirals going from inside the tangle out.  How 'zen' of it to work out that way.  If you would like to learn more about Zentangle, click on the link in the column on the left.