The good news of Lent: God sees each of us. He knows us. He is committed to us. He passionately loves us. No amount of work on our part can increase his love for us. And despite the fact that we may not be able to see his face, hear his voice, or feel his touch, we can trust him.
1) God’s will for our lives is that each of us will bear abundant fruit. 2) God helps us to bear abundant fruit by allowing us, through our interactions with others, to be pruned. Sometimes that pruning is painful. 3) When the hurtful actions of others causes painful pruning, we can take our suffering to the foot of the cross, and through God’s gifts of love and forgiveness, the experience will actually enrich our lives.