I Cannot Do This Alone

I Cannot Do This Alone

O God, early in the morning I cry to you.
Help me to pray
And to concentrate my thoughts on you:
I cannot do this alone.

In me there is darkness,
But with you there is light;
I am lonely, but you do not leave me;
I am feeble in heart, but with you there is help;
I am restless, but with you there is peace.
In me there is bitterness, but with you there is patience;
I do not understand your ways,
But you know the way for me…

Restore me to liberty,
And enable me to live now
That I may answer before you and before me.
Lord, whatever this day may bring,
Your name be praised.

- a poem included in Devotions for Lent, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Challenges to My Lent Sacrifices

Once again, I am engaging in the practicing common during Lent of giving up, sacrificing something for Christ to identify in a minuet way with the suffering He experienced for me.  I came across these two challenging thoughts that have made me think more and more about how one truly dies to self during this season. 

“During this season, don’t just give up soft drinks; 

Mount a concerted campaign against impatience.  

Don’t just put aside your favorite TV show; 

Subdue your anger.   

Don’t just fast; 

Kill your self-centeredness.” 

~Peter J. Leithart

“Normally, we meet God in his good gifts and 

turn every enjoyment into worship with thanksgiving. 

But from time to time, 

we need to test ourselves to see if we have 

begun to love his gifts in place of God” 

~John Piper in A Hunger for God.