"The Lord looked straight at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word the Lord had spoken to him..." Luke 22:61

This past year I've been part of a group going through the Beth Moore study "Jesus the One and Only". If you're not familiar with the study series, let me just say that they are as in depth as any Bible course.

Today my reading took me to the scene where Peter denied Jesus. It hit me hard how easy it is to deny Jesus, not just by what I say or do, but by what I don't say or do. That is where I fall the hardest; when no one is aware of my shortcuts or temptation to relax with a few more minutes of TV, one more chapter in the book I'm reading and so on.

During a baptism yesterday at church I was also reminded that as a parent, I am not the only one that is impacted by my relationship with God, my children and those that live with us are also impacted. Above all, it is my children that see what I do, or do not do. Above all they are the ones that hear my harsh words or are touched by the effects of the stress I encounter. It hits me hard when I consider the challenge to keep my relationship with God on track, but when I also see how it relates to the rest of my household and those I encounter throughout the day then it hits me even harder.

As a Christian I have to remember that, as Max Lucado writes, "It's not about me." In today's world, especially in the West, that is a very radical statement. Even from Nigeria, the belief that I "deserve" certain things in life, or the idea I might "deserve" an outcome, like a job promotion, to be in my favor are the norm.

Lent is nearly over and Easter is right around the corner so it is a good time to examine how we each deny the cross in a variety of ways. Let us not be guilty of putting ourselves before God or God's will. Let us not be guilty of giving anyone we meet during the day cause to wonder whether or not we are Christians or do assume that we support an idea or attitude that is not of God.

In the end, it is so reassuring that, just as Peter discovered, Jesus does not abandon us when we forsake him. He knows the limitations of our humanity and understands that we are often so hardheaded that we have to learn some lessons many times in the course of our lives. Thankfully, He is always waiting for us to call on His divine intervention and lean on Him even more; He will even carry us if only we ask!

May you too recognize that accepting our human limitations does not deny who we are, but opens up the possibility to become who God envisions us to be!

Have a blessed day!

Dorthea