It's that Lenten thingy...

Lent is here. Today is a day of fasting. Today I fast for a friend of mine whose husband is having surgery.
Neat story: I went to college at DeSales and while there became a theology student. During that time I met someone who was older than the rest of us college kids who had gone back to school to get her degree in Theology. She was and continues to be a great influence. At the time it was like having a mom away from home. Between classes she would sit at this bench at the end of the Theology wing and knit and muse about the finer things in life.
Several years later after having Stephen I joined a moms group and met a few moms. At a dinner one night I was talking to one mom and discovered that she was the daughter of the "college mom." Crazy right? Since then we've become friends and have bonded over our motherhood.
Back to my fast: So in reality I am fasting for two friends. One whose husband is having surgery and one whose father is having surgery. I pray that wife and daughter and all other family members affected by the accident and related surgery find peace and comfort in such a crazy time. And of course I pray for D that his surgery goes well and he recovers nicely and get back on his feet soon enough.

Meanwhile Lent.

Lent is a time of repentance. It is a time to sacrifice. It is a time for change. During Lent the Church asks us to sacrifice something as a way of repentance. Most people take this and give something up. Not many people focus on the opposite side of that and think about doing something. I try to do both. I try to give something up and replace it with something else.
No, not one vice for another. The whole purpose of giving something up is to give something up that is potentially holding us back from the Lord. So I do my best to give something up that is doing just that. Something that is getting in the way, something that causes great distraction. From there I look at what I can replace that time with. And isn't it obvious? If I am giving up something that it hurting my relationship with Christ, shouldn't I then choose to do something that will help my relationship? The answer is a resounding YES. And I will do just that. I will put something bad down and pick something else, that is good, up.
The thing about these sacrifices is that they are supposed to encourage a permanent change. So for me there is no going back. Once I do this it is for good. And it bothers me when others miss this point. Let me give an example. Let's say you give up chocolate for lent. To me the only reason that would be a good sacrifice would be if it is truly ruling your life. Can you not go a day without it? Do you eat too much of it? Is it causing you to be an unhealthy person? So the answer is yes, and you give it up. When you count Sundays Lent is not a true 40 days, so many people will argue that you can take a break from your Lenten sacrifice on Sunday. So let's say that Monday through Saturday you don't touch chocolate and then Sunday comes and you eat a pound of it. Are you really changing? No. So what's the point then? What should happen is that you learn during these 40 days a healthier lifestyle. When Easter comes celebrate it with the accomplishment that you made your sacrifice for the Lord. But don't go back to your sinful behaviors. Instead be changed. Is chocolate sinful? NO. But it can be if you are one to overindulge in the stuff. An unhealthy lifestyle is sinful, in that it does damage to your body.
So at the end of Lent, enjoy your chocolate, but only in moderation. Be transformed this Lent. Become a better person because of your sacrifices and learn a new better way of living.