Leaning through Lent

In all the reminders of the wilderness that come with Lent, I love this from Song of Solomon,

“Who is this I see coming out of the wilderness leaning on the arm of her beloved?”

Every wilderness day can cause us to lean closer on the one who loves us best.  

At the risk of sounding obvious, you can’t lean on something unless it’s near. If you lean and aren’t close enough, you fall over. God invites us to lean on him, but we have to come close. 

John describes himself leaning back against Jesus at the Last Supper. It’s like when my boys used to snuggle up when we watched TV - a head on my shoulder, utterly trusting.

John trusted that he was welcomed that near. So are we. With John, we can say that we rely on the love of God (1 John 4:16).

Who or what do you lean on?

I find relying on myself is an exceedingly bad life plan. I end up like Del Boy in that comedy gold moment when he talks about playing it cool, leans laconically onto a non-existent bar and ends up on the floor.

This year, I have felt closer to the end of myself than ever before and yet found that God is near enough to lean on.

What does leaning on God look like in practice for you? For me, it’s the change in me when I remind myself of his love. It’s the change in my day when I pray about the little things and am surprised that God cares about them. Today I prayed before ringing to rearrange a hospital appointment to find that the receptionist has my book and wanted to help me. What are the odds on that?

This week, take some time to place yourself in that Last Supper story. How close are you sitting to Jesus? Do you know that you are welcomed near enough to lean your head on the Lord’s shoulder?

Lent comes from the English word to lengthen, because the days are getting longer and spring is on the horizon. Maybe this year we can add a new meaning and make it the time that we lent on the love of God.