Good-bye...

Saturdays are for good-byes. Good-bye to the weekend…Sunday starts the workweek. Good-bye to my husband who returns to Roanoke where he serves as an interim pastor. Good-bye to the dog who, at least this week, goes with him. Good-bye to good intentions of finishing massive amounts of household chores that didn't happen.

Good-byes lead to hellos, though. We can't start a new week until the old one is gone. We can't celebrate homecomings until someone leaves and comes back. One theory on the origin of Lent was the preparation of new converts for baptism on Easter Day. They gave up an old way of life for a new Way. Some would be martyred. Some would lose friends and family. Some would be accepted into new community and would end their loneliness or trouble. While we don't know for sure, I would guess they experienced life in discipleship the same ways we do. But to become disciples, they had to be ready to say good-bye to a former way of life and live in a new way.

Some good-byes are easy; some are hard. Some we expect; some we don't. But to live into the promise of new life brought by Easter, we must be willing to say good-bye. That may be the task of Lent this day…cause a new week starts tomorrow.