Ready?

Now we enter the holy season of Lent. I welcome this season as an opportunity to reflect, reclaim, and renew.

Presbyterian minister and writer, Frederick Buechner (another favorite who was a great help to my seminary studies) states that the process of Jesus 40 days in the desert was Jesus trying to figure out "what it meant to be Jesus." I like it. During this season we too are given the opportunity to find out who we are and to work on becoming who we want to be. It's not an easy task, yet, I think it is a necessary one.

During Lent we tend to focus on what we are giving up --- caffeine, desserts, red meat, television, etc. I remember years ago when doing youth work, I gave up chocolate for Lent. Of course, I told everyone. That Easter was a chocolate boon for me! I received more chocolate from more people in more varieties of chocolate wonderment! It took me weeks to consume it all. Looking back, I'm not sure the non-chocolate Lent provided great spiritual strengthening and personal growth.

Yes, it's important to discipline one's self to give up something. Yet, even more importantly is to have one's behavior changed, one's self strengthened, one's life made fuller by the experience of Lent. So, this Lent, what if along with giving something up, we also take on some exercise, spiritual discipline, or practice?

It's your call. You determine what that may be. It should be something that come Easter Sunday you too feel more alive and more free and more who you are Divinely trademarked to be.

Of course, if I decide to give up, oh, say, peanut m&m's I'll be sure to let you know.

sj;