Lent

When I was a child, we always had a big pancake meal on Fat Tuesday - and when I say big, I mean BIG - as in at least 3/4 of our church family participated in it. And then, after this began the season of Lent. The only thing Lent ever meant to me was to give something up. Sometimes, this had a lasting affect on me - I remember one year, I decided to give up a bad habit. I used to chew my hair - I know this is disgusting, but you would be surprised as to how many girls chew their hair. Anyways, I decided I would stop chewing my hair for 40 days. I was 6 years old when I gave this up for Lent - it stuck! I haven't chewed my hair since.

I see on facebook a lot of my friends, typically my Catholic friends, talking about giving up chocolate or caffeine for Lent - I think to myself, should I give up one of my vices this year. I've done the no chocolate before, sometimes I make it the full time, sometimes I don't.

Last year, I decided to take my Lenten fasting to a whole new level - well, a new level for me.  I gave up my Starbucks coffee. Now, for those of you who don't really know me, not only do I love my Starbucks, but I love the loaded kind - my favorites being a non-fat white mocha, or a Cinnamon Dulce latte, or what about a coffee frappaccino with toffee nut syrup?! mmmmm. Plus, I work RIGHT NEXT to a Starbucks. My sister-in-law WORKS at Starbucks (so sometimes she hooks me up!) - so giving up my Starbucks, this was hard. This isn't like any little caffeine or coffee addiction. It's going into that place, chatting with the employees, smelling all the pastries. But, I gave up my Starbucks - and every time I felt the need to go get one, I would take the money that  I would have spent on that Starbucks, and I put it in a jar. When Easter was over, I gave that money away - last year it went to Relay for Life. And, of course, as soon as Lent was over - on Easter Morning - I was getting a Starbucks! :)

So, I've been thinking this year. What is it that I'm going to "give up." A church friend of mine, someone who I really love to talk to about spiritual things, was talking about fasting during a recent book study we were doing. An idea she had kind of stuck with me. Fasting should be uncomfortable - it is supposed to bring awareness. By fasting, you are looking deeper into yourself; of what is really important. And it can be simple things. We worship that which we are fasting from a little too much, and instead should focus on God. So, when fasting, give up something that will make you a little uncomfortable.

OK, so giving up my Starbucks last year wasn't really all that hard. Like any real addiction, the desire for it subsides a little, but even when I started, I knew I could do without my coffee. This year, I want it to truly be uncomfortable, so I can contemplate it spiritually.  I should give up Facebook! THAT would be uncomfortable. I give myself the excuse that Facebook is my connection to certain people - my mom for example. We chat all the time online through Facebook. If I wasn't online, well, then I would probably never talk to her - OK, I would be forced to pick up my phone.  My husband is another - I have Facebook on in the background a lot, so if I have a tech question, he is a click away... but it is a compulsion. I don't NEED it. Well, I do use it for work a little - both the churches I work for have Facebook pages. Hm... maybe I should give up spending - is that possible? I mean you have to buy food and gas, and such, thereby spending money - but no, I'm talking about excess spending, anything besides basic food and necessities... Is it possible for me? I am a bit of a shopaholic I'm realizing.

I haven't decided yet, it is Ash Wednesday, I should have decided yesterday so I could have properly indulged! (Though pumpkin-butterscotch pancakes was a GREAT way to indulge regardless of what I give up for Lent.) Have you decided to do some fasting for Lent? Think about it.