Unsettledness

The past few days I have had this general sense of unsettledness.  I have felt as though there are so many parts and places in our world that seem to have a general lack of peace about them - an unrest. 

Some of it is obvious to spot - Ukraine (or insert whatever other global conflict happens to be going on at the moment), the economy; political turmoil; etc.  

But some of it is much more subtle - the tension between people standing in line at the store, the general angst of a younger generation dissilusioned by their predecessors, the unrest I feel when my internet streaming has to buffer (ok, maybe that's a stretch!).

Regardless of the sources, for some reason I have been keenly aware of this feeeling of unsettledness.

Which I find completely appropriate for Lent.  

This is a season in which the followers of Jesus are invited into the space of unsettledness and uncomfortability.  As we are confronted with the shadow of the looming cross of Christ, we should feel uncomfortable.   It should be unsettling to us because we are taking time and creating space to allow the Holy Spirit to probe and point out the ways in which our lives don't measure up to the plum line of God.  We are confronted wiith the magnitude of the sacrifice in the face of our frailty. 

The question becomes, will we allow our unsettledness to create more angst, or will we let the Spirit blow and move us in the ways He desires - deeper into the loving arms of our Savior?  Will our discomfort birth more bitterness, or will we bring it to the cross and allow it to be washed with the beauty of His grace?