“Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.” Hebrews 13:16. Caring is a strong feeling of giving of one’s self to others, a strength given to us all. Caring for others is a tool from God to give strength where there is weakness, to give delight where there is sorrow. We have found in our lives that there is no better exercise for strengthening the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.

“Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2. I was at the end of my rope. We had just spent the night before in the hospital having labor stopped for our unborn child and found that bedrest for the next two and a half months was the only way to bring our baby into this world safely.

“I cry aloud to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy hill. I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.” Psalm 3:4-5. As I prepared for my third go-around with my hip replacement surgery, my first reaction was a sarcastic response, “How come I am so lucky?” The timing was inconvenient, and I knew all about the pain and long recovery that would be coming again. The question to God of “Why me?” came up several times. Well, thankfully I am now past that third surgery and on the road to recovery.

[Jesus] said, “It is finished.” Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30. Just before He died, our Lord declared, “It is finished!” It was over. Good Friday had happened and Easter was near. Just as the little girl implied to her grandmother that we must move on, so our Lord moved on, rising from the dead, so that we might have new life.

"Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one." John 17:11 b. There is no closer bond than that of parent to child. Friends are held together by mutual interests or needs. A boss keeps things together by power and control. But a father is bound to a child by love. One aspect of love is protection.

“We love because he first loved us. Those who say, ‘I love God,’ and hate their brothers or sisters, are liars; for those who do not love a brother or sister whom they have seen, cannot love God whom they have not seen. The commandment we have from him is this: those who love God must love their brothers and sisters also.” 1 John 4:19-21. I don’t know about you, but when I read the verses above, there is no “wiggle room” to get me off the hook of loving others. In my mind, I might be able to come up with all kinds of reasons and excuses and to why I should be able to pick and choose the people I love based upon any number of criteria that they need to meet.

“The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it.” Genesis 2:15. [Jesus said,] “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35. Ever since the beginning of time, God has put us on this planet with the call to CARE. (You just knew I would have to get a Genesis verse in here somewhere, didn’t you!) The very first job that God gave humanity was caring for the earth.

[Jesus said,] “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” John 13:34-35. When I was growing up there was a great emphasis on giving up something for Lent – getting rid of some habit which has no spiritual benefit for ones life. This was to be seen as making a sacrifice or bearing a cross during the season of Lent. I have come to believe that, in Lent, it is more important to give something to God, to others and that something is love! Each day let us plan to show caring love for someone during the season of Lent.

“And let us consider how to [stir up] one another to love and good deeds, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another.” Hebrews 10:24-25a. One of the great gifts of baptism is that we become sons and daughters of God. This means that we become a part of a family. Jesus taught us to pray not “my” but “Our Father.” This means that we can never be Christians alone.

“There was a rich man… And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus… who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table…” Luke 16:19-21. There are a lot of “needy people” out there. Sometimes we perceive them as mere annoyances. Often we live in a state of denial and ignore them. We all have more than one Lazarus to deal with but Lent challenges us to recognize Lazarus in those we meet, live and work with on a daily basis.