Our lives can, from time to time, seem to be full of more than our share of frustrations, discouragement, even defeat. For absolutely every one of us, there are times when almost nothing seems to go right, and the temptation to simply give in to discouragement, to decide that it's just not worth the struggle after all, can be very great. We may not need revelation to tell us that life can be burdensome, but we certainly do need revelation to tell us that if we judge the value of our life, its purpose, its meaning only in terms of those burdens, then we are shortsighted indeed. Our observance of Lent will be a spiritually powerful force in our lives if we learn from it, even just a little bit, that in spite of hardships, life goes on, and usually goes on fairly well, fairly comfortably. That no matter what kind of turn our lives may take, good or bad, it can be said with absolute certainty that they will turn again.
Movement is an undeniable fact of life.
Just because we are human, our lives are constantly subject to transformation. The content and quality of our lives, spiritually, intellectually, emotionally, even physically, all of these are constantly subject to change. And that fact can be either bewildering, or it can be very consoling. The thing that makes the difference is the intensity with which we embrace a very Christian virtue, the virtue of hope. A person with faith approaches the changeableness of life with the conviction that it is a good thing, that it has a purpose, that humankind is not floundering aimlessly, but is being drawn toward an increasingly more perfect union with the Father.