This Lententide
Remember last year when I tried fasting for Lent and failed miserably? Well, I'm trying again this year.
Although I didn't have enough self-discipline to fast successfully last year, I still think that there is value in preparing for Easter through prayer, penitence and self-denial. This year, however, instead of trying to fast from all food (which only had the result of making me notice how freakin hungry I was!), I am putting more of an emphasis on refraining from indulgences (rich foods, frivilous purchases, excess TV watching/Internet surfing and the like). Essentially, I want more time to pray and read my Bible and reflect.
Sad to say, but in my human sinfulness, focussing on the things of God requires that I make an extra effort. It does not come naturally for me. If I find myself with, say, a spare half an hour with nothing to do I do NOT automatically think to myself, "Oh, I'll go spend some time in the Word or praying to God". Nope. I'm more likely to think, "Gotta go check my email!" I have to work at it.
You know in the Garden after the Fall, when God asked Adam and Eve who told them they were naked? No one told them, of course. They simply hadn't noticed before. I have this theory that the reason they hadn't noticed was because up until that point all of their attention had been focussed on God. In the Fall, they stopped looking at God and started looking at themselves...and that's when they noticed their nakedness.
That's what I'm hoping - in some small way - to reverse this Lenten season. To stop looking at myself all the time and look at Christ instead. To not notice that I'm naked and see only the One who clothes me.
God's blessings to you all this Ash Wednesday as be begin our journey to the Cross!
Although I didn't have enough self-discipline to fast successfully last year, I still think that there is value in preparing for Easter through prayer, penitence and self-denial. This year, however, instead of trying to fast from all food (which only had the result of making me notice how freakin hungry I was!), I am putting more of an emphasis on refraining from indulgences (rich foods, frivilous purchases, excess TV watching/Internet surfing and the like). Essentially, I want more time to pray and read my Bible and reflect.
Sad to say, but in my human sinfulness, focussing on the things of God requires that I make an extra effort. It does not come naturally for me. If I find myself with, say, a spare half an hour with nothing to do I do NOT automatically think to myself, "Oh, I'll go spend some time in the Word or praying to God". Nope. I'm more likely to think, "Gotta go check my email!" I have to work at it.
You know in the Garden after the Fall, when God asked Adam and Eve who told them they were naked? No one told them, of course. They simply hadn't noticed before. I have this theory that the reason they hadn't noticed was because up until that point all of their attention had been focussed on God. In the Fall, they stopped looking at God and started looking at themselves...and that's when they noticed their nakedness.
That's what I'm hoping - in some small way - to reverse this Lenten season. To stop looking at myself all the time and look at Christ instead. To not notice that I'm naked and see only the One who clothes me.
God's blessings to you all this Ash Wednesday as be begin our journey to the Cross!
3 comments:
May you be blessed on your journey my friend. I love you.
Beautifully put, my dear! Reminds me of Ps 121.1 "I will lift up my eyes to the hills -- From whence comes my help?"
Beautiful!
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