Dear Friends, Lenten greetings. When choosing which passages to work with in these meditations, I tend to lean towards the most positive, hopeful and encouraging bits of the Bible that I can find. In the midst of all that we struggle with, I feel that we primarily need hope and love and peace spoken over us. I also have a wild faith in the power of Love to transform us, and in Christ’s beautiful invitation to intimacy and union. Bringing you into this invitation is my primary desire in making these meditations. Lent, however, is a good time to gaze at what is broken and difficult. Jesus did that himself, and, in my experience, offers a presence and a friendship to stand beside us, and gaze with us, at the sticky, painful bits of our inner and outer worlds.  With that in mind, we will be looking at brokenness – all that is difficult and wearying – in our meditations over the next few weeks, noticing how it is handled throughout Biblical texts.  May these stories continue to help you make sense of your own story, and may this practice of ‘beholding the pain’ in a safe context bear gifts of life for you. Do take care of yourself, don’t address more than you are ready to, and turn to safe people for support when you need it. Blessings, always, as you pray. Lissy Contemplative at Home offers guided meditative prayer – space to slow down and listen to the truth that is being born out of God’s love for you today – drawing on Ignatian spirituality and at times, Lectio Divina. Sign up for Lissy’s monthly newsletter “The Contemplative Window” or join our Facebook group here Support the show by sharing it with a friend, rating it on your preferred podcast platform, or by becoming a member for just a few $ or £ per month. Thank you so much! All music by Pete Hatch.