This second week of Lent can often be a challenging one. Ash Wednesday is now a distant memory. The enthusiasm we had during the first few days may well be gone at this stage. Doing extra things we don’t normally do or giving up things is never easy. So if we have found our Lenten journey has ground to a halt or moving slowly, don’t give up just yet. You most certainly are not on your own and maybe today is a good day to restart again.

The reason we make an effort at Lent is to somehow show that the God we believe in matters to us and makes a difference in our lives. It is an acknowledgment that we don’t have all the answers, that life can sometimes be tough and that sometimes we are in a difficult place. It is also an acknowledgement that there is and that there must be something more to life. Our own faith journey is an expression of this. We put our trust and hope in a God who loves us uniquely. This same God is with us through everything. This is not just the good and happy moments of our lives but the difficult days too. This means that God is with us in “the shit moments” too. God never ever leaves us alone. There is always some stepping stone at our side even when we think none is there. Lent is all about taking a step onto one of these. Perhaps tomorrow we can try another step. But the step we take today is the most important one and we do so with patient faith and enduring hope.