Lenton Devotional

written by: Henri J.M. Nouwen

The great challenge of faith is to be surprised by joy. I remember sitting at a dinner table discussing the economic depression of the country. We kept throwing out statistics that made us increasingly convinced that things could not get worse. Then suddenly the 4 year old son of one of my friends opened the door, ran to his father and said, "Look Daddy, Look! I found a little kitten in the yard...LOOK...isn't she cute?" While showing the kitten to his father, the little boy stroked the little kitten with his hand and held it against his face. All at once eveything changed. The little boy and his kitten became the center of attention. There were smiles, strokes, and many tender words. We were surprised by joy.

God became a little child in the midst of a violent world. Are we surprised by joy or do we keep saying, "How nice and sweet, but the reality is different." What if the child reveals to us what is really Real?

"Restore to me the joy of your salvation and sustain me in a willing spirit." Psalm 51:12

I am behind in my Lenton devotional book...I KNOW...terrible:). But this one really spoke to me today so I wanted to share. I have been really struggling with the state of this country and the fear of where we are headed. This reminded me that I need not fear...