If you’ve driven around West Allis or Greenfield lately, you’ve seen the orange signs. Detour signs are just part of life here. We usually don’t like them. They slow us down, add time to the trip, and take us off the route we planned.
But in the church, we have a name for a 40-day detour.
We call it Lent.
Lent Is Not a Punishment
For a long time, I thought Lent was mainly about “giving things up” to prove I had willpower. Maybe you’ve felt that way too.
But I’ve started seeing Lent in a different light. Lent is not about punishment. It is a season of simplifying.
In the Bible, the wilderness is not where people go because they are bad. The wilderness is where people go to hear God more clearly. When life gets quieter, we notice things we usually miss.
Lent is an invitation to step into that kind of space.
The Wilderness Can Be a Gift
When you’re on a detour, you have to decide what’s worth keeping with you and what’s just weighing you down.
That is a good picture of Lent.
As we walk through these Lenten Sundays in March, I want to invite you to look at your “wilderness” moments as an appointment with God. It may feel like the road is longer than you wanted. But it can also be a time to lighten the loadand refuel.
A Simple Lent Detour Checklist
To help you walk through this “in-between” season, here are two practical ways to approach Lent:
- What to leave behind
- What to carry with you
What to Leave at the Curb During Lent
This is not about trying to be “extra holy.” It’s about clearing space so your heart can breathe.
Try a Digital Fast
Turn off your phone one hour before bed.
What could you do with that quiet hour?
Try a Complaint Fast
Catch yourself before you grumble about the March slush or traffic.
Replace it with a quick “thank you” for something small.
Try a Clutter Fast
Find a few things you don’t need and donate them.
Clearing physical space can also clear mental space.
What to Pack for the Lenten Journey
Sometimes the best way to grow is not by subtracting. Sometimes it’s by adding something life-giving.
Send an Encouragement Text
Each morning, text one person—someone in our church family or your neighborhood—just to say, “I’m thinking of you.”
Do a Five-Minute Sit
Before the radio or TV goes on, sit in silence for five minutes.
Ask God, “What do You want me to notice today?”
Practice an Open Table
Invite someone you haven’t talked to in a while for coffee or tea.
A simple invitation can open the door to healing and connection.
Lent Leads to Easter
The wilderness is where transformation happens.
Jesus didn’t go into the desert to be lonely. He went to be prepared.
So if the path feels a little winding this month, don’t worry. You aren’t lost. You’re on a detour that leads straight to Easter and new life.
I’ll see you on the road.
— Pastor Rob