Lent is a time for soul searching – for subjecting our lives, and our discipleship, to a thorough examination, so as to ensure that all is as it should be. The following reflective prayer, taken from my book Touching the Seasons, explores what that means, using the analogy of a medical health check, from which we can all benefit on occasions.
The health check
It was a thorough examination,
a check on just about everything you could think of,
and a good thing too,
for it showed up problems he hadn’t begun to notice,
nipping them in the bud
before they could cause serious harm.
A few months’ delay,
or a less careful doctor,
and who can say what would have happened,
whether he’d even be here now to tell the tale?
Examine me, Lord,
and know my thoughts.
Search me,
and help me to see where I’m spiritually weak,
my faith lacking
and my commitment poor.
Put a new heart and a right spirit within me,
and, by your grace, make me whole.
Amen.