When Your Computer Freezes

We've all had the exprience of a computer that refuses to move backwards or forwards. We push ctrl/alt/delete and choose between end now or cancel and still nothing happens. A brick wall, with time passing fast to when other things must be done, yet the computer remains remains disinterested in our next project. One solution left, shut the whole thing off and start from scratch. This always seems to work. Such was my case this morning, but here I am.
It made me think of so many other things in life that reach a similar impasse. A brick wall in business, that late afternoon slump, our prayer, our Lenten observances. Starting from scratch after a "break" a nap, a restart. As we look at our "progress" at the end of the second week of Lent, we might find that our computer has frozen, the brick wall is here already, and we are stymied. Best to shut down and restart. In humility we have to admit that we haven't stuck to our "program", but the good news is that there are still four solid weeks ahead of us, and further, we can take another good look at the truth that we can't do it alone, that we need God's help. Like the Prodigal Son, we need to make our way home, back to the Father, and into the arms of his merciful love. This trek home to the Father is the renewing process of Lent. It is not the number of sacrifices we successfully made, but the change of heart, the learning about ourselves, and more importantly, our deeper understanding of the Father's love. So let us take heart when our computer freezes nd glean the benefit of restarting with a deeper sense of our Father's compassionate, unending, unconditional mercy and love.
Bro. Rene