The boy was taking care of his baby sister while his parents went into town shopping. So a little boy decided to go fishing and he took us little baby sister along. That even he said to his mother, “I’ll never do that again,” he said to mom. I did not catch one fish. “Oh, the next time I’m sure she’ll be quiet and not scare the fish away,” said mom to her son. The boy said, “That wasn’t the problem. She ate all the bait.”

I tell you that joke because you probably did not see the punchline coming. You didn’t see it coming. Do we see what Lent is truly all about? Lent is more than a time of giving up. Lent is also a time of giving.

Our Lenten journey is a call to repentance, change of heart, and a time to walk more closely with the Lord, no matter our age. Jesus, the holy one, is tempted to do evil. Today’s Gospel passage, Jesus temped in the desert by the evil one, but here lies the beauty and importance about Jesus. Jesus is all of us in every way except sin. In his own life, Jesus was not spared from pain and temptation. He knows well the bouts that affect us. The temptations and frustrations that press upon us. Jesus showed compassion, mercy, and love to those who suffered, and those filled with pain because he himself suffered, struggled, and experienced sorrow, so Lord can relate to us.

You know, we are all tempted at times. It’s so easy to say, “I’m tired of trying. I give up.” The Lord says to all of us, “Never give up. Do not quit.” The Lord says, “I’m with you.” Despite the number of times we have fallen, the Lord Jesus says, “I love you.” Despite our failings, and they always, always forgive you. I know this, forgiving does not change the past. It changes the future.

But here’s another secret of Lent. Happiness will never be ours if we do not recognize to some degree that God’s blessings were given to us for the wellbeing of all. And by the way, when you go to bed this evening, turn all your worries over to God, because God will be up all night anyway.