Don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone?

In 1970 Joni Mitchell first recorded Big Yellow Taxi, which mourned the loss of “Paradise” on a visit to Hawaii as she looked out a hotel window on a huge parking lot.

It seems to be human nature to take for granted what we have. Those who have chosen to “give up” something for Lent may be reminded in simple ways at a party when chocolate cake is served. Lay missionaries may believe they are prepared for water and electricity outages, delays in ability to correspond with friends and family, yet only realize how challenging this is when they actually miss these conveniences. Mission Doctors frustration for lack of supplies or equipment, diagnostic tools, often becomes the most challenging reality of practicing medicine in resource poor settings. Items taken for granted in their practice at home now lacking may be keenly missed.

The readings for the fourth Sunday of Lent begin with the story of God’s chosen people who had come to take for granted their unique relationship with the Lord. “…they mocked the messengers of God, despised his warnings, and scoffed at his prophets” They only knew what they really had when the didn’t have it anymore, to paraphrase Joni Mitchell. 70 years of exile in Babylon they mourned the loss of the temple, they mourned the loss of that special relationship with God. We pray with the Psalmist now reminded of this loss “Let my tongue be silenced, if I ever forget you!”

Perhaps the most well know words of the entire Gospel are John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life.” These words form the fundamental truth of Christian faith. Do we take our faith for granted? On this Lenten journey that began on Ash Wednesday we were given the steps we are to take as we move forward to renew our Baptism on Holy Saturday.

We continue to be called to Prayer, Sacrifice, Good Works. Can you imagine your life without faith? Perhaps recognizing just how dark our lives would be without faith, we can avoid taking this gift, this light, for granted and take the steps to deepen our relationship with God on our Lenten journey.