Sunday, February 21, 2010

Lent?

I've never really thought about Lent. Twice in my entire life have I been exposed to it. When I was 15, my mom brother and I were eating at McD's in Okinawa and the woman next to us was telling her child she couldn't eat the fries. Why? She had given them up for Lent. My mom said it was a Catholic thing. However, here I am ten years later, hearing that my fellow Christian teachers are also giving up things for Lent. Apparently it's a Christian holiday that nobody bothered to mention! Mostly Catholics and the like celebrate it...but for some reason I feel as though I should be partaking in this fasting season. Perhaps it's because I've known for awhile I need to take a sort of fasting season. Lent requires you to fast of something, give of something to God (generally time), and to give what you've given up to your neighbor. I'm not sure how I'll get to the neighbor part, or what exactly that entails, but I'm really thinking I need to do this.

Sadly, Starbucks must be fasted from. It does me no good! Technically, it causes me sin. "For him who knows to do good, and does not do it, to him it is sin". I know it's not good for me to spend $4 on a cup of coffee, but I do it! It's unwise, and way too sugary.

There's a bible study I've been meaning to get to that I haven't made time for. It's called "Breaking Free" by Beth Moore. I will be getting up mucho early to do this. God deserves my mornings, after all, He gives me the whole day!

Like I said...the neighbor part, I'm not sure how it's supposed to work. I'll update that later.

Do you partake of the season of Lent? Why, and how? I'd love to hear!!!!!

1 comment:

Sabrina said...

I participated in Lent last year. I think I gave up chocolate/sugar. I "think"? Yes. That is precisely why I'm not doing Lent this year - for me it became about the task and not about the focus, and I can't even remember what I fasted! So, if you think there is something in your life that is distracting you from the Main Thing, get rid of it, but be intentional about it. :) Don't give up Starbucks just to give it up, in other words. You can still visit Starbucks and be wise with your money. :)