There’s a strange relief in finally saying something out loud that you’ve been holding in.

Like when you admit you’ve been exhausted for weeks, or that you snapped at your partner not because of the dishes, but because you’re carrying something heavier underneath. There’s this breath you didn’t realize you’d been holding. A holy exhale.

That’s what Psalm 51 feels like to me.

Not polished. Not performance. Just a desperate, beautiful, messy prayer that starts with seven words:

“Have mercy on me, O God.”

David writes this psalm in the aftermath of failure—real, raw, relational failure. And instead of hiding, he opens up. “My sin is ever before me,” he says. Not to dwell in guilt, but to begin healing.

We tend to think confession is about shame. That naming what’s broken is some divine courtroom where we’re waiting for the verdict.

But in the story of our faith, confession is not a trial. It’s a turning point.

When we name our mess, God doesn’t slam a gavel. God opens arms. We’re not punished with silence; we’re met with mercy. “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” David prays. And somehow, we believe that’s possible—not because we’re good at fixing ourselves, but because God is good at renewing what’s cracked.

This Lent, I’m not interested in giving up chocolate or coffee as a spiritual performance. I’m interested in giving up pretending.

I want to bring my real self—unfinished, sometimes unsure—to a God who doesn’t flinch at the truth.

At Variable Faith, we’re walking through Lent with reflections on the rhythms that restore us: confession, stillness, simplicity, Scripture, generosity, and presence. Each week, we’ll offer short daily devotionals to help you reconnect with your spirit—and with the God who meets you there.

Whether you’ve followed Lent your whole life or this is your first time, there’s space for you here. Not because you have it all together, but because grace begins where honesty lives.

So if you’re feeling cracked or tired or uncertain…

Good.

That means you’re ready to begin.

We’ll start with these words:

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love.”

And we’ll go from there.

Want to walk through Lent with us?

Subscribe to our weekly devotionals, or follow along on Instagram @VariableFaithRVA. You’re not alone on this journey.