“How often does my heart cross over?”, asked Friar Derrick. Are we so comfortable on being on this side of the door, because we know the fear of the unknown on the other side, that we don’t want to consider crossing over? Today’s Gospel, rich (unnamed) and poor (named Lazarus). Can we cross the space to see the needs of someone outside the door to help, especially when we know they are there? During Lent we are invited to cross over, and our Lord is searching the heart – first reading of Jeremiah – actions come from our heart so if our heart is not able to leap over neither is our body. The door we refuse to cross over, could be forgiveness, or forgiving ourselves, or we cannot forgive God, or wanting to go discover something we feel bubbling in our souls and God is inviting us into an adventure but we are afraid to cross to the other side, so in this second week of Lent, allow ourselves and our heart to be open to God’s grace, and allow our hearts to leap and cross over to the other side where there is life, adventure with the Lord, and know that the Lord with you on this adventure so do not be afraid and just cross over.

The Lord speaks right to me today with his Word. From Jeremiah 17:5-10, where man sees no life in things of the flesh but where the blessing is from the man who puts his trust in the Lord, directly linked to my ultimate favourite Psalm 1, Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord, who avoids the company of sinners and delights in the Lord and ponders his law day and night!!

And then He speaks to me in the Gospel to cross over with my heart …in Luke 16:19-31, with the parable of the rich man and poor Lazarus, where the rich man learned after he died that he did not serve those next to him in need. May this leap of faith in my heart, crossing over help bring me closer to God in serving those I have failed to, because I have failed to stay close to God during this season.

This is what I journaled on the Amen app:

Have mercy on me Lord, it has taken me this significant milestone especially during Lent to drop my net in my current career to listen and run back to you. Where Jeremiah 17:5-10 “A curse on the man who puts his trust in man and turns from the Lord” links to my ultimate favourite Psalm 1 of all time “Happy the man who has placed his trust in the Lord” and the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 – to speak loudly to me and yet console me close by my side. Thank you Lord

Today is the day I crossed over in a leap of faith into the unknown . I dropped the net and followed my heart. I left my job!!