SHROVE TUESDAY

A saying happened through my brain this morning: 'if you come to a fork in the road, take it.' I remember hearing this a while back and it didn't penetrate my thinking at all. Today, however, there it was back again and begging for consideration. As I mulled it over, actually picturing the fork in the road, I thought how asanine it is, especially if it is a true fork heading off equally from the main path. So what other choice is there but to take it. Right or left. Right or wrong. But can it ever be wrong? If the path leads to nowhere can't we turn around and take the other path. Does this have to be a black or white, written in stone, decision? I don't think so. We have choices. Over and over and over again.

Today's choice is coming up on my Lent discipline. Well, I did decide that I would do the Lenten Devotional Guide: "Seeking to Serve, A Lenten Exploration of the Millennium Development Goals" put out by Episcopal Relief and Development. It will be at the breakfast table to share with Bill. Perhaps he won't want to share but I'll give it a shot. Something for us to consider together over the next forty days.

The booklet itself is small, five by seven. One page a day - two for Sundays. And that page is two thirds filled with a drawing, cartoonish style. First a line of scripture, then the drawing, then a paragraph of teaching or explanation or whathaveyou. I haven't read any of it yet so I am making an assumption about the paragraph. It seems like 'Lent for Dummies.' We'll see how it goes.

Bill is already into the Lent thing without even realizing it, having committed to cooking the pancakes for tonight's supper at church. We'll see how that goes too. He is not really a team type player, preferring to do his thing on his own. I have been trying to impress upon him that the more people involved, the better for the community. Bill doesn't get community. Sometimes I don't either.

It is gray and damp and dreary and Lent looms.