DAILY DOSE OF HOPE – BLOG – NAIMA LETT
“If at first we don’t succeed, try again” | DAY 5 of 40 (LENT)

The saying goes, “If at first you don’t succeed, try try again.”

Shout out to phenomenal actress Viola Davis, whom I was pulling for yesterday on the Academy Awards for Best Leading Actress. I knew it was a long shot, seeing as the voters of the Academy, (recently touted by the LA Times as not diverse “Unmasking the Academy:), would not likely vote for a sister in both the Leading and Supporting categories. They surely would vote for Octavia, (Congratulations!); but that meant they probably weren’t going to vote for Viola.

I met Viola during my days at Crossroads Theatre when she slam-dunked-hit-a-home-run onstage there. We all knew she was an incredible actress then. So glad the rest of the world now recognizes it as well. The one thing that we can say about Viola is that she has lived out this idea of “try and try again.” She has weathered the business for 20 years. Her story of extreme poverty to success, as shared in LA Times: VIOLA, is an encouragement to all of us to keep going, no matter what. So inspiring!

So, Happy Week 2! Let’s check in.
How was your first week? How did you do?
Easier than you thought? More challenging?
Did you have any “If at first I don’t succeed” moments?
Were you able to keep your sacrifices? Are you seeing the Lord moving?
How was your mini-celebration-Sunday-day-off yesterday?

Again, each Sunday during LENT is considered a mini-celebration of the coming resurrection after a time of sacrifice and denial. As opposed to looking at the entire 40-day season of fasting and reflection and thinking, “What a long time?!”, I have found myself saying, “I’ve just got to get to Sunday.” Does that help anybody else? To break it down into little chunks?

I can’t take credit for it. The founders of the faith came up with a 46 Day Lent minus 6 Sundays, not me. Maybe they knew how hard it is to keep a long term sacrifice going.

Confession/Update:
My first week had its ups and downs.

On the UP:
I was really encouraged by the blog from Saturday about being grateful. I am being more intentional about finding reasons to say, “Thank you.” Everything may not be as I want, but I am grateful that it is what it is. I have truly felt better and more at peace and more centered. It’s a different way of looking at situations. You know? Finding a “Thank You!” Loving it!

Also, I succeeded in part of my sacrificial commitment. There are 2 things I decided to give up, on different levels. The food thing, YES! The time thing… well..

On the DOWN:
I only succeeded in about 75% of my time commitment, and I’d like to be at 100%. I am about to share with you part of my sacrifice, not out of boasting or pride (usually our fasting particulars should be kept between us and God i.e. Matthew 6:16-18), but so that you can hold me accountable. I believe in leadership by example. If I have invited you on this journey with me, the least I can do is lead at 100%.

So, here it goes: One of my sacrifices over our 40 days is to commit 10% of each day in quiet time with the Lord. My norm is usually an hour when I get up in the morning.
I asked myself, “What would be a sacrifice for me?”
My answer was “Double that”.

My schedule is packed. Beyond packed. So to carve out another hour and 1/2 somehow would be a true sacrifice for me. We’re talking close to impossible. So, that has been my goal. Made 3 out of 4. That first day was a doozy! I finished the first hour and was like, “Now, what?”

I had to remember this is a real conversation with a Heavenly Father who loves me, not a bad date. But for a moment, I think I heard the crickets chirping.

I sat. I had finished reading the scriptures for the day.
I had already journal-ed. I had prayed.

“You have anything else you’d like to share,” I think I said. (To the God of the Universe, no doubt).
Then I waited. And waited.
Then, I checked my email.
That was it. The rest of my day was off running.

Lesson learned:
Wait.
Be present in the silence.
The conversation will continue… just wait.

I was reminded of Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God…”

I believe all scripture should be taken in context, so let’s look at the entire Psalm/Song:

DAY 5: Scripture meditation
BE STILL
READ: PSALM 46

This song is about the Lord being with us, being a protector in the time of trouble, a safe place. The psalmist says that the Lord causes peace to occur in the nations and that we can be still because the Lord will be exalted in the earth.

That “Be still” literally means, “Cease striving”.
What a concept.

Cease striving.

That does not mean, ‘stop working’. We gotta work. There is something that we are each meant to do while we are here on this planet. We all have a purpose, a mission. I believe that.

But it does mean, ‘stop working in my own strength’. Striving has a connotation of working needlessly. Or in my case, being extremely busy, when maybe I don’t have to be as busy.

Is God really our ever present help in our time of trouble? Or are we trying to knock everything out ourselves?
Are we striving or ceasing?
“Is it possible to Be Still“? asks the borderline workaholic? (that would be me :=)

And how does that “Be Still” jive with “Try Try Again”?

I personally don’t think the two ideas conflict. If I had given up after the first day, I wouldn’t have had the beautiful moments in Day 2 and 3 and 4. When I didn’t succeed the first day, I did have to “try, try again”. I just realized I had to ‘try’ in a different way.

My solution as I “tried again” was to ask God for his help to “be still” before Him and to “cease striving” in my own strength and power. I asked Him to exalt Himself in what I do. And the things that do not exalt Him, I want to choose NOT to do.

I had to resist the temptation of checking for messages in the middle of my conversation with God.
How rude would that be if I imagined Him to be in physical form sitting across from me and I picked up my phone in the middle of our dialogue and I just started checking messages?

What about you? Is it hard for you to be still too?
Do you strive in your own strength?

The scriptures make is sound so simple: “Be.” “Cease.”
May be it is that simple.
May be we don’t have to keep “trying”.
May be, today, we can just “Be.” “Still.”
Or in my case, at least for a couple of hours. :=)

What do you think?

PRAYER:
1) Confession & Repentance – Let’s confess our wrongs and ask forgiveness
2) Complete honesty & transparency – Let’s let our guard down and really talk to God about the truth of our lives.
3) Listen – Let’s quiet and listen to God’s Spirit re: the scriptures, what we’ve shared, etc.
4) Intercession for others – Let’s pray for our family, friends, coworkers, church, etc.