For Lent this year, I thought long and hard about something that I could give up that would fall under two categories:
1. Something that, by so doing, would draw me closer to God
2. Something that I knew would not come easy, and even something that I did not believe I actually could give up.
Disclaimer: I did NOT give up dessert so that I could lose weight - in fact, I have not lost any weight.
...After taking time to thoughtfully think through this, I landed on desserts and specialty coffee drinks (mochas, lattes, etc). It has indeed reminded me that I cannot "medicate" myself with sugar after a long or hard day, or even in joyous celebrations (after all, my birthday and valentines day are during Lent) - but I can always medicate myself with Christ and focusing on his ever-present faithfulness. It also helps me prioritize - it reminds me that Christ is more important to me than enjoyable bites of goodness here on earth. It has also helped me to be more thankful - thankful for the plentiful opportunities for dessert and coffee dates (and a constant reminder that I don't love tea much!) - and thankful for a period of time to focus more on the people I am with than the food I am eating.
Andy and I have been reading each night Henri Nouwen's Lent & Easter Wisdom book. It has a portion each day from one of his books, a Bible passage, a daily prayer, and a daily action. I love these special few minutes we have each night to talk and reflect together.
And so I say, Jesus I love you more than dessert. I know that I need you more than sugar! I also know that you can sustain me through things even I think I can't endure (...giving up dessert is a small comparison to harder, more serious life experiences - but it's applicable nonetheless). I thank you for this season of lent to reflect on penitence and my need for you to be my rescuer through your sacrifice on the cross.
...and I am thankful for the hope of Easter when we can celebrate what you've done ...maybe even with dessert AND a specialty coffee drink :)
1 comment:
I can so relate! I don't think I realized how much chocolate I consumed on a daily basis, or even how much I relied on it to sooth a long stressful day. It's been an eye-opening experience for me.
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