Thoughts about Lent

Wow...it's been quite a long time since I've written a post and lots has been going on in my life since then. I've been thinking about a post that would address some of those changes but this afternoon I'm more interested in sharing some of my thoughts about Lent.

Growing up I don't remember observing Lent at least not regularly. My parents may have given up things for those 40 days but I really don't remember much about it. Then in my young adult years I vaguely remember choosing things to give up that are fairly typical like chocolate, sweets in general, swearing, voicing negative thoughts/comments, fasting for one day a week. Most of these years I was simply following someone else's behavior and really didn't observe Lent the way I think God might have wanted me to. Truly, there was not a change in my behavior long term...no lasting impact. Did I feel closer to God for those 40 days? Probably, but the good accomplished didn't translate into my ongoing life after Lent was over.

So now it's 2012...I'm committed to not doing things these days that don't have long term value for me or my family. So do we observe Lent this year? And if so, what will that look like? I don't want to give up chocolate just for the sake of giving up something. I've been reading a lot about Lent to help me make a better decision. I joined a reading plan on Youversion specifically for Lent that includes a devotional which has been so helpful in this process. I'm also reading Reliving the Passion by Walter Wangerin Jr. which is a retelling of the Passion story over the 40 days of Lent. This book is challenging me to really think about the familiar story of Christ's life, death and resurrection with new eyes. Finally, I'm reading Chris Seay's newest book, A Place at the Table, which challenges me to commit to a self-examination and renewed focus on Jesus.

So what? How will I be different this year? Do I feel God asking me to give up something for Lent in 2012? If so, what? These are the questions I've been struggling with for several weeks now.

Last week God helped me to realize exactly what He wants me to focus on during this season of Lent. I'm giving up tv watching  during the day. Now I know for most of you daytime tv watching is probably not a big deal. However, God revealed to me that I've been allowing that to consume my free time during the day...in fact, it might just be a real problem. I often can't stand it when I know there's something really good waiting for me in my dvr or queued up on Hulu. It's not enough to just not watch tv though...what am I going to put in the place of tv watching? See that's what I've learned these last few weeks. It's not enough to just give up something or not do something. I need to replace that action with another action. For me this looks like studying God's Word more regularly, reading books that have been on my shelf for a long time, working on some craft projects that I've let sit for far to long and recommitting to writing in my blog.

Today is the first day of my official observance of Lent. The tv has not been turned on...not one time today. The house has been so peaceful and quiet. I'm finally picking back up this blog. And best of all...those shows that recorded last night will still be there when I'm ready to watch them!