Enough Already

This Lenten season someone said Texans don’t have to do penance, because during this last week we’ve been deprived of enough already. That made me smile. Though I see no need to do penance (Jesus has taken care of my sins already), I see this season as a time for sin awareness. It’s good to be reminded sin is so awful in God’s sight that it cost the life of our Savior. So I’m reading through the Gospels again during the 40 days of Lent, this time from the Message version. This adds only two or three chapters a day to my regular Scripture reading and gives me a fresh look at Jesus’ birth, perfect life, baptism, death and resurrection, all for me. Our merciful Savior has gathered our imperfect lives into his absolutely perfect, sin-free life, as he once pictured, like a hen covering her chicks, ridding us of all shame and guilt. What could be more wonderful!