Lent is a time of prayer, "fasting," and almsgiving. I've been mulling over what to do for Lent this year, and since it starts on Wednesday, I'd better get to gettin. I think what I'm going to do is "fast" from buying coffee when I'm out running around. I don't need the extra caffeine, I don't need the extra dairy, I don't need the extra expense, I don't need any part of it whatsoever, yet every single day I wrestle with myself over whether to "just pop in" on my way to ______, ________, or ___________. I think what I'll do this year is add up the average I spend per week on this nasty habit, and donate it to some cause that will feed starving people actual food, instead of whatever it is I'm consuming that isn't doing one single thing to "feed" me.
I also think I'll put one item per day in the Goodwill bag (might not actually go to Goodwill, but for me that is synonymous with donating). God knows there are at least 40 extra "things" lying around here, despite the fact I donate a huge bag at least once or twice a month. There's always more than we need, and that just ain't right. I'm all for having everything we need, but do I "need" 20 purses? 18 of which I haven't used in years/decades? Instead of doing some deep purge, I think I'll just look around the house mindfully each day, and ask myself, "What could be better used by someone else?""Who needs this more than I do?"
As for prayer, I am going to work on using my morning prayer time to empty my mind, not run through "the list." I've gotten better about not making prayer a fancy wish-making time, even basking in gratitude at times, but still, I have a long way to go in making it a time of listening, and not "speaking."
And, as always, we will not be "fasting" from saying alleluia at the Link house.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
Alleluia.
Amen.
* Photo from http://www.turnbacktogod.com
6 comments:
Love it! These are all great things, my dear. I will add my two cents and say that once I stopped feeing my 'oral fixation' for beverages as I was out running errands, I was surprised at how little I actually wanted them. Now, when Bubba and I are out on the weekends and he wants to pop in to the coffee shop, I rarely say I want something, too. And each time I'm amazed at how little effort it takes to pay attention to whether or not I'm truly thirsty. I count that as a step in the right direction.
You are the right kind of woman.
Interesting to click on your post today. Someone asked me to do a guest post on Lent and I have to say I'm not a devoted Lent practitioner. The request has made me look at Lent more deeply and thoughtfully. Thanks for your inpsiring post.
As is the traditional Catholic Lent 'adventure' I used to give something up every year without fully getting the context or really taking it quite seriously. OFten I became resentful or preoccupied with the 'denial' of something. And I don't do well with being denied and I blame that on early childhood trauma :) SO I now 'do' for lent. I improve and try to 'do' something positive, giving or loving every day and I mostly try to do it anonymously so that there is no vanity......I think I'm growing up:)
I like your Goodwill idea. I'm gonna use that one next year. This year is take-out food. Let's see if I make it. *sigh*
This is all good.
You need me to come and help you purge your stuff. I'm super good at it.
:)
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