Lent 2011: Week 2 Catch Up, Helpless

As a part of Lent 2011, I decided to fast and refrain from posting further reflections for Lent 2011 after day 8....well....not exactly! I have been traveling and was unable to keep up with daily posts because of my hectic schedule, but I wanted to start back up today because I think these reflections are helpful and good and worth continuing.

So it is actually day 20 now. The first 8 days revolved around the concept of "worth". World Vision took the second week of Lent to discuss the idea of being "helpless".

World Vision Act:s, Week 2.

We’re always told that life is full of choices, and often we have the option of making good choices over bad ones. But what if there was no option to make the “good” choice? In this week’s story, we will read about a mother whose choices in life are severely limited. It’s a different kind of trap.

Read "Helpless" story here.

Reflection: Rebecca‘s impossible choice between buying medication to treat her daughter’s malaria and using the money to provide food for the rest of her family is a choice no one should have to make, but many do. Her situation is essentially “helpless.” This week, we will carry out acts that simulate experiencing helplessness.

SUGGESTIONS FOR THIS WEEK’S EXPERIENCE:

• Take away a tool that you depend on. Some options include: pens, pencils, paper, internet search engines, your cell phone or its apps, text messaging, your car, public transportation, your computer, etc.

• Go without a coat or something else that keeps you physically protected.

• Write some of your computer passwords on a sheet of paper and give copies to some trusted friends. Throughout the week, think about what would happen if they actually used your passwords and saw your entire life without filters.

• Each day, commit to telling a stranger (which also means you must meet a stranger) or a different friend a secret about your life.

You can come up with your own experience, but the common theme of all our acts is that they make us feel vulnerable – something Rebecca feels everyday. And as we go through our “helpless” experiences, let us remember that Jesus, Son of God, selflessly became man and experienced vulnerability in order to restore our relationship with God. Thanks for taking on this experience of helplessness in observance of Lent 2011.