Next Wednesday is the beginning of Lent – a time meant for waiting, anticipating and preparing our hearts for Easter Day. Both Lent and Advent have become seasons I highly anticipate. There so much to appreciate in taking a month to ready my inner world for all that the coming holidays embody.
In a little over a month it will be Easter and we will be worshipping Christ’s resurrection – a whole new life, new start, His Spirit now with us, His redemption, His salvation, Hope, Joy, Peace, Heavenly Love…. I can’t even attempt to describe all that this Holiday can mean so I’ll just leave it at that. Yet I think everyone who celebrates Easter and Christmas can relate to the realization that these overly planned for days can arrive so quickly that, without preparing within our spirit, they can feel a lot more like work than deeply meaningful and joyous times.
Each year since realizing that, I’ve decided to cherish Lent, focusing on what could prepare my heart. Usually I haven’t given too much up (like the usual chocolate or sweets people lament their forfeiting). Giving things up felt unrelated – why again were we giving up favorite foods? So instead I usually sought ways to add-in things that would help bring me into God’s presence for the season. Things like journalling prayers, reading devotions, and finding scriptures that would draw me close to the heart of Easter have been my focus.
But this year, a way to bring meaning to my season may be to consider what gets in the way of my relationship with God and to give that up. A few days ago I was just thinking about giving up fake sugars and possibly adding in things like tea and morning stretching to feed my body and my soul, to create a life that would fuel health, joy and devotion to God in a new way I’d not done before. The fake sugar – well that came from realizing I’d slowly allowed more and more of it in; a substance that doesn’t really feed the body but feels like it does.
Then I had this similar thought – what is really feeding me and what is only posing to do so? What other “synthetic” things was I falsely feeding on or filling my time with so the real Spiritual food was crowded out?
Being single I have the blessing of time in the morning and the evening and I cherish those hours alone. The morning hours I sacredly carve out so I have ample time to prepare for my day, nourish my heart and soul, start off right – not rushing to work as if it owns my waking hours. But the evening…well malnourishment can creep in pretty easily. Time wasted on screens and with filled with “noise” can sneakily eat up an entire evening until my time to truly pray, journal or delve into God-with-me is whittled down to mere minutes.
So for Lent this year, I want to pray, seek out and to give to God what gets in the way. To change my routine. To create the rich openness needed to fill up on and be loved by Him. Guarding and protecting the quiet space that fuels open, honest, real conversation. Giving quiet space to speak, really listen and hear.
I’m not sure where you stand on Lent. But from wherever you are in life, what are you currently feeding on?
What is getting in the way of your feeling nourished, loved, deeply known, alive?
What is crowding out the nourishment you so deeply long for?
Join me on this journey of intentionally living so God can speak, feed, and love you richly.
