Day 7: Math Lab

 I was cleaning my room and overheard Andrew and Philip in the shower:

Andrew: What's 1/4 times 4?

Philip: 1 whole.

Andrew: 5 Stars

They carried on like this for like 20 minutes and Andrew burst out into my room wrapped in a towel. "Mom, I think I've invented Math Lab for Philip and I'm going to start handwriting lab tomorrow so he can learn cursive."

It's amazing what happens when electronics go away. 

There's something so special that begins to occur as the boys slowly forget about their "games" and find new ways to fill the void. They are only allowed to play video games on the weekends (usually) or on road trips but they think about their games a lot. They plan what they are going to do next in each game they play. They talk to each other about progress and what might happen with different combinations of strategies. The imagine worlds to build in Minecraft. 

Every morning, Andrew wakes up promptly at 6am and drags his blanket to the couch where he finds his Dad drinking his morning tea. They launch into a ritual conversation where Andrew spews all his knowledge about all his games and Dad listens, knowingly, asking key questions and providing provocative what if statements to keep Andrew's juices flowing. I am almost certain it is Andrew's favorite time of day. For all I know, it might be Ulrich's too.

The first week of Lent, nothing changed. There was still much banter and make believe about video games. What they'll do when Lent is over and all the exciting things to do in each game once Easter comes. But slowly, slowly, there is a space growing in their minds as video games fade.

It's a mini renaissance

. They pick up all sorts of hobbies (or half thought through projects). They read more books. They start to come alive with creativity. Today, Eddie decided he was going to write a book series about clouds on a journey through the sky and Andrew started "Math Lab" with Philip. We caught a queen ant and started an ant farm and the house has been alive with new ideas, projects and creativity.

As I put the kids to bed and tip-toed over the disaster that is my front living room, I began to think that this is exactly what Lent is about in so many ways. We find so many things to fill the space. We get caught up in our "games" and not only do we play them but we think about them, we talk about them, we research them and we leave so precious little space to allow our spirits to breathe in new inspiration and breathe out co-creation with our creative God. 

Giving up something for Lent creates a void. It takes time for it to be felt be eventually, at least in my practice, the void creates in me the same sort of buzzing that giving up video games does for my kids. It puts me in touch with things that are life-giving. Things of deeper purpose and allows me to wrestle with God on big questions of who I am and where I'm going.

Today, I think I saw Lent from God's point of view ---