In Lent, there is an opportunity to dust off the soul, declutter the spirit. There is dignity in doing the spring cleaning of our very being. We live in a society that values independence. We often do our core work behind closed doors, alone, but it need not be so. The psalmist highly acknowledges that we desperately need God. If are still and open and willing, God can cleanse our hearts and offer us renewal. The pleading of the psalm is intimate. To create a clean heart, God gets a good look at the dirt piling up in the corners.

Being human is humbling. We make mistakes. We hurt one another. We hurt God. The spiritual practice of praying the Psalms reminds us that there is newness every day. We can take a deep breath and inhale new life, new opportunity, a fresh start, little resurrections. Some days it will feel like we are wallowing in the pain of our crushed bones. Other days we will smile, remembering that crushed bones can still rejoice. If we try on the willing spirit of the psalmist, joy is ours for the taking.

Pleading “Do not cast me from your presence” and “Do not take your holy spirit from me” names the fact that God is here. We are filled with the Spirit. We belong. These truths, profound in their simplicity, are often muted and obscured by our fast and full lives. We forget and think we’re alone. We put our heads down and go through the motions of our lives. Dwelling consciously in God’s presence—awake to the wonder of this moment, with an open spirit—is what allows God the space to fill us, enliven us, and restore us.