What Holds Us Back


 

As I walk through this season of Lent, I am mindful of those who choose to give up something for the season. The point of such a practice is not to punish oneself, but to use the discipline to create time and space to pray or reflect or serve. It is amazing how much time can be freed up in our busy schedules by altering one habit. It can be a food or drink we enjoy. It can be something we find entertaining. It can be just about anything, really, that is a part of our daily life.
I have never been a coffee drinker, but I have friends who must start their day with it or, well, just not start their day. It is a “must” for them. It wakes them up and focuses their minds. When they travel, one of their priorities is to know where they will find the coffee each morning. They love their coffee. They need their coffee.
As I came upon this discarded cup, it made me think of those things we might lay aside for a greater good. What holds us back from experiencing life to the full? What is it that trips us up on the journey toward being who we wish to be? What gets in the way of our heart and God’s heart? This is the perfect time to consider the answers to those questions.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.”
Peace.

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