Lent

Ash Wednesday is tomorrow and it’s the beginning of Lent. It kinda snuck up on me this year – didn’t we just take down the Christmas decorations?! – and yet God made sure I wouldn’t let it pass without notice.

Although my church community doesn’t corporately practice Lent, over the past few years I’ve been inspired to practice my own version of Lent. It usually involves increasing my devotion time, spending more time reading the Bible and praying, and usually some type of fast. I generally decide based on what is put on my heart for that year, and some years I don’t do anything – guilt free! It’s not some legalistic thing I have to do. My version of Lent is about challenging myself in order to grow in my faith, preparing my heart for the Easter season, and mostly, it's a way to provide some sort of meaning to our Easter, above and beyond a new dress, Easter eggs and chocolate bunnies (not that there is anything wrong with those things! I love a new dress and a chocolate bunny as much as anyone!).

This year, these blog posts really inspired me:

40 Ideas For Lent – is FILLED to the brim with ideas for Lent! (this post is actually from last year but I only came across it a few days ago)

Why Doing Lent This Year Is Really What You Need – more inspiration and a free devotional. I think I’ll put together an Easter tree with the kids, it’s a perfect visual reminder.

I hope you find these as inspiring as I did. As Ann at A Holy Experience noted in the above post:

 

It is an irrefutable law: one needs to be dispossessed of the possessions that possess — before one can be possessed of God. Let the things of this world fall away so the soul can fall in love with God.