Ask Thursday

He looked up at me with eyes that melted the urgency for the next place I needed to be.

Nathaniel waited politely until I finished that ever-important conversation and with both persistence and tenderness, and then said “Why don’t we Ask Thursday?”

“Ask Thursday ?” I queried.

Deliberately and slightly louder, as is done when one thinks that speed and volume solve communications problems, he declared ” We need to Ask Thursday.”

I scanned everything my school administrator brain could muster, but I couldn’t get there – to where this six year-old mystic was headed. “Why would I “Ask Thursday?”  I asked, trying not to appear too clueless.

“Well” he replied quickly and simply…”Yesterday we did Ask Wednesday.  Now it’s time to Ask Thursday.”

It dawned on me…my otherwise remarkably inspirational message about ASH Wednesday had clearly not brought Nathaniel into my fold.  But, I thought I would let him take the lead, so I followed, “Well, if we were going to Ask Thursday.  What do you think we should Ask Thursday?”

Back and forth, he shook his head indicating that I was heading nowhere fast.

Now, with hand motions to keep me focused he demonstrated a balance scale while he simultaneously swayed for emphasis, “It’s like this…. Ask Wednesday is for fast. Now it’s time for Ask Thursday.”

Reluctantly I asked, “And, so what happens on Ask Thursday?” Finally, his eyes twinkled…finally, she is plugged in!

“On Ask Wednesday we did fast.  On Ask Thursday, we do slow.” he responded with hope that I was comprehending the obvious.

And now I was hooked, “And so what might ‘Ask Thursday Slow’ look like?”

“It would mean that we do less worry and more love. That’s what I think Lent should be about. Ask Thursday.”

Nathaniel headed to recess and I knew it was my turn to learn.

So…how about Ask Thursday
Slow
Less Worry and More Love
Just Ask Thursday…

Lent requires us to emerge from the shell of our own comfort
And look
in places we prefer to not see
To See
what it is hard to let into the heart

Lent needs both fast
and slow
Fasting from what gets in the way
Slowing to hear the beat of our own heart

Lent needs time
Lent needs attention
Lent needs believing that around the bend,
something unspeakably amazing awaits us

If we just keep our head up, our heart open, and Ask Thursday.

“Test Negative and Stay Positive”
See you on the road to Friday