Ash Wednesday was yesterday, and this week I have heard many conversations that start with a phrase I have very mixed feelings about...
"What are you giving up?"
There are always those people who have, in my general experience, given up things that they love, only to complain about missing the thing they love for 40 very... long... days. And to me, that's not what it's about. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a time in which we grow closer to God. If we give something up and then talk about it for 40 days, are we really growing closer to God? Are we really being the servants we should be?
Of course, now that it's out there, you all probably want to know if I am giving anything up. And I think part of my Lenten promise is a tough concept if you don't know me.
The simple part to expalin: I am taking on the task of writing a letter to God every day...Visual reminders of prayers that should happen more than they do are a good tool to make me think, and make me aware of how much I say the word "I" when I pray.
The complicated part: Get back to me. What I stood for, with a good dose of starch in my spine in earlier times, has come to not be as important in some ways. I lollygag instead of getting homework done. I linger on the computer, I go out when I should be working and am somewhat anti-social at times when maybe, I should go out. I mindlessly eat sweets and junk out of boredom when I should munch on celery or carrots or some other healthy snack.
So I am limiting myself to 90 minutes a day on the internet to spend between blogging and Facebook. I have carrots in my fridge, and I will try to eat them or just be concious of what goes in my mouth. I will have the patience I've never really had, but should try to have more. There are other parts to it, but I have bored you for long enough.
The simple part to expalin: I am taking on the task of writing a letter to God every day...Visual reminders of prayers that should happen more than they do are a good tool to make me think, and make me aware of how much I say the word "I" when I pray.
The complicated part: Get back to me. What I stood for, with a good dose of starch in my spine in earlier times, has come to not be as important in some ways. I lollygag instead of getting homework done. I linger on the computer, I go out when I should be working and am somewhat anti-social at times when maybe, I should go out. I mindlessly eat sweets and junk out of boredom when I should munch on celery or carrots or some other healthy snack.
So I am limiting myself to 90 minutes a day on the internet to spend between blogging and Facebook. I have carrots in my fridge, and I will try to eat them or just be concious of what goes in my mouth. I will have the patience I've never really had, but should try to have more. There are other parts to it, but I have bored you for long enough.
I think the conversations start with "what are you giving up" because that is the easy part. I think your "Get back to me" is very insightful and is what God wants - but it is complicated, and hard to talk about.
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