One of my passions is genealogy research. I began in about 1977 by ordering my great-grandfather’s Confederate military record from the National Archives. It contained various information about which battles he had participated in, how his pay was docked for losing a cartridge box, how he was captured as a POW in Virginia and spent the remainder of the war in a prison at Ft. Delaware. At the end of the conflict, all POWs were required to sign a document of allegiance to the United States. He signed with an “X”. This made me especially sad to learn that during his imprisonment years he could not write home or read any letters that may have been sent to him from his parents.
It was years before I discovered he could read and write, that after the war he and his brother operated a gin in South Carolina. Often the information we glean from a document can lead us down what later proves to be an incorrect path.
Genealogists refer to seeming insurmountable problems in documenting needed information as A Brick Wall. Sometimes this brick wall occurs when searching for the maiden name of a spouse or parents of an ancestor.
Quite frequently I find I have reached a brick wall in my spiritual growth. Such is my relationship to Lent. Not a heavily disciplined person, I love a clean house, but really hate expending the energy to clean. Following a Lenten routine is difficult for me. I will admit it was easier in Shreveport when I was younger, healthier, and a 10-minute drive to my church. All that considered, I still need to incorporate more communal activities into a Lenten rule of life.
My goal is to once more experience directly an answer from God. I would love to feel God’s glory. My earthly father has been dead now 36 years and I still miss him. My Heavenly Father is alive and active and my brick wall consists of myself. Please pray for me that I will find a way around this brick wall in Lent.
– Danielle Perkins
What is the brick wall you are facing in your life? How will you get through it during this season of Lent? What spiritual discipline can you use?
One Comment
Thank you, Danielle, for reminding me that we all have our spiritual “brick walls.” One of mine is using the excuse that I am too tired after a long day at work to meditate or read scripture or pray (but apparently not too tired to watch a movie or read Facebook messages!). Another is reluctance to share my own short-comings with others, for fear they will think less of me — when the opposite reaction often occurs. So see? You are already helping me to dismantle a brick or two. . . .
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