He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him. Mark 1:13

Forty days is a long time - especially by the standards of today’s fast paced world. Let us take this lesson to heart, during Lent.  Lent is a time to pause and take stock of our lives and wonder about who and whose we are.  

I found it interesting this last week as I studied the Gospel that Jesus was not ALONE in the wilderness.  Not just Satan was there with Him.  There were also wild beasts and angels.  It was a reminder for me that even now, we are not alone.  Although  much of the time we are being pressed to give up the freedoms we have enjoyed, such as social gatherings, travel, shopping or trips to the beach.  We are not alone.  

What is unmistakably poignant about this gospel lesson is that God is continually renewing us, through story and inclusion and growth.  

Consider this, Jesus spends forty in the wilderness, but this trial is after he has already been baptized and claimed by God.  It seems to me that we, in studying and dissecting the story, we forget that before we even start on the journey, we are first claimed by God.  

It is no small thing to know that God is with us during our journeys.

During our own Lenten journey, we are invited to continue to watch and wonder about how we can let go of those things that blind and bind us, limiting our ability to see the work of God all around.  And to be reminded that we are first claimed by God, and God is with us through the whole adventure.