It's been about a week and I've been reflecting on how I've been doing on Lenten practices. More of and less of in many ways feels harder than none of. When I give up something completely, I put it out of my mind. It is a forbidden fruit and I stubbornly ignore it.
But... it becomes a focus. One year, I have up all drinks besides water. And so... every time I filled my cup, I thought of Lent.
But this year, it's lots of things. None of them given up, but all of them "less." Shopping, fast food, plastic, special drinks, sweets.. etc, etc. This year, I'm trying to just consume less.
Going to a party when you're on a diet and just "eating a little" is tough. Sometimes it's easier to not eat anything at all. After all, what's a little? A little and a little more and a tad bit more after that is not a little anymore. It's not as easy for me to moderate in the face of abundance.
So... this is something to work on. And, I think making conscious choices through out the day has had a way of both increasing my gratitude for the small pleasures of life and thoughtful around what and who I'm trying to be. I have to be honest and ask myself. Did I really do less? Am I cutting back from normal?
Living with intention.
It's always so interesting to see where God leads me during this season. I always have some sort of plan about what type of journey I'm embarking on. But, come Ash Wednesday, God shows up, gets in the driver's seat and hurtles off into some wilderness that I didn't even see on the map. We're not very far in, but I can sense that this year is no exception.
I look out the window and see the familiar things whizzing by and frontier large and looming on the horizon. I've not been in this wilderness before. We're going somewhere new. A new corner of my soul to poke and prod through a new set of Lenten disciplines. New ways to see God and new ways to learn grace.
So... buckling up and letting go of expectations so that I can enjoy the ride.
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