Failure
by KayLee Bennett, Director of Youth Ministries
Finally, Easter— “Praise God!” Because I failed miserably during Lent. Really, about a week in the first signs of weakness reared its ugly head. Anything I gave up, I gave into. Anything I added to my daily life that was good became a hit or miss.
But here’s the thing: failing at Lent may not be so bad. In fact, I think it is more than OK to fail at Lent. I actually think failing at Lent is a part of the plan.
Lent is a such a compressed period of time where I am crazy seeking to be different, better than the day before even in the smallest of things, grasping at any little tidbit of perfection and holiness. It is like climbing a mountain with no peak, full of switchbacks and trees so dense with just glimpses of blue sky. How can I forgive someone who hurt me again? How can I…? How can I…? This is exhausting. Maybe it’s so tiring because I am thinking about myself, yet again.
But somewhere in the middle of Lent something changes. Lent starts off with Jesus gathering people, teaching and making relationships. People trying to figure out who this man is. But somewhere in the middle Jesus starts performing miracles. Healing what no doctor could, defying water, multiplying fish, sending demons running and scared. Lazarus! Through Lent I come to see that Jesus is the solution to my exhaustion. He is the solution to all the stuff I tried to fix myself. If I could get through Lent on my own, why do I need a savior? But I cannot. Jesus is my Savior, not me.
So, I am supposed to fail at Lent. To remind me that it is impossible to do life on my own. The miracle God performs in my life everyday is my failure, which constantly leads me to the cross. Which leads me to the tomb. Which leads me to TODAY! Easter! My failure becomes opportunity over and over for the resurrection of Christ in my life everyday, leading me into a deeper relationship with my Savior. Am I tempted to give up? Yes, and many people do. But the truth is, God wants more than anything to have a relationship with me. He wants me to know exactly who He is. So He shows up over and over and says, “I got you, let go."
Happy Resurrection Day for the next 365 days.