Lent

There were so many discussions I heard about Lent, who’s giving up what, and why they’re giving that thing up. I did not hear much discussion about why you give something up though as far as what Lent means. Lent is a primarily Catholic practice, and some years I’ve participated in it while others I have not. According to About.com, “Ash Wednesday marks the first day, or the start of the season of Lent, which begins 40 days prior to Easter (Sundays are not included in the count). Lent is a time when many Christians prepare for Easter by observing a period of fasting,repentance, moderation and spiritual discipline. The purpose is to set aside time for reflection onJesus Christ – his suffering and his sacrifice, his life, death, burial and resurrection.”

I was even a little bit on the fence about whether to do Lent up until this morning, but then I got my daily devotional emailed to me from She Reads Truth. (Side note, I love this devo and how easy it is to digest, while getting straight to the heart of the matter.) If you follow me on Instagram, you probably already saw me post this image from the blog post. Here’s an excerpt from today:

 Ash Wednesday, is a time for us – Protestants, Catholics, Jesus followers, Truth seekers – to acknowledge not just our acts of sin but our condition of sinfulness before the Lord. It is a time to turn to him in mourning and to return to Him in trust anew, believing He is faithful to forgive and forgive again.

Before we jump up and down for joy of forgiveness – which we absolutely should – let’s sit here a minute. Let’s let the enormity of our sin sink in deep, so the enormity of the Cross can become more real to us than ever before. So we can remember that we are the sick ones He came to heal. Let’s rest a long moment in the weeping that comes before the laughing, the mourning that comes before the joy (Ecclesiastes 3:4).

After thinking about it and praying through it, I’ve decided to give up my cell phone during the hours I’m at home in the evening. It’s very convicting to realize how much time I spend staring at my phone screen while next to my husband watching tv. Instead of using commercial breaks or downtime to connect, I’m using my phone as a crutch to scroll through Instagram or FB for the 14th time. Not. NECESSARY. But, when it’s there, it’s just too much of a temptation.

So, for the next 40 days when I get home from Pure Barre or dinner or whatever we do, I’ll be placing my phone in a back bedroom and leaving it there until I check it before going to bed. If someone needs us, they’ll call and I’ll go answer it. And if I miss a FB notification or a text, it probably won’t kill me to not answer for a bit, right? 😉

I’m also giving up sweets in an effort to hang tough with a co-worker friend but truly I should be doing that for the most part anyway on Clean Eating. How about you, friends? Are you observing Lent? If so, what are you giving up?