Lent 2018: Reflections from Current and Former Volunteers 2018 Lenten Reflection Guide | Page 10

F or most of my life I have struggled to get up early. I
do not have an inherent disposition to mornings, but waking up
before 7 a.m. has never sounded good to me. However, I have
recently felt like I might be missing out on something by only ever
waking up to fulfill a responsibility. Unless my commitments are
tied to another person or work, it is hard for me to get out of bed,
whether that is for myself, or worse, for God.
So as I meditate on the passage in Mark 16, which depicts the
fervent passion Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Salome had for
Jesus, I feel convicted. Rising early, they rushed to serve Jesus
with spices and burial rituals, completely forgetting to consider
how they would get past the behemoth boulder standing firm
between Jesus and the rest of the world. How often do I let the
boulders in my own story quarantine my zeal for serving Jesus?
How often do I sleep in just because I don’t have a “plan”?
One thing I have learned in my 22 years, and will most likely
continue to learn, is that confidence in Christ – “the riches of
assured understanding” (Colossians 2:2) – is strengthened in
situations contradictory to the plans I make for m