Scripture Reading
Joel 2:12-13
"Yet even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love; and he relents over disaster.
Reflection
Joel's urgent call — "yet even now, return" — is offered not as condemnation but as an open door. The return God asks for is internal: torn hearts, not torn clothes. Outward rituals have meaning only when the heart beneath them is genuinely turned toward a gracious, merciful God. On the eve of Lent, let this be our first movement: a real, quiet turning.
Prayer for Today
Dear Lord, Please come to us. Calm the storms of our hearts and minds as our precious child goes into surgery. May we know that your spirit goes with them and that your power will be with the surgeons as they operate. Cover our wonderful child with love and protection, clothe them in grace and hope. We put our trust in you and await the hope of Christ to arise in our lives as they recover and rest. Amen.
Amen.