Many of you may be in a similar boat to me at this point. This is day two of Lent and I don’t have a specific sacrifice in mind for this season. So, I started thinking. What if, instead of giving up something for Lent, I started doing something for Lent, and ideally, beyond. Nothing big or time-consuming but something that I can put into my daily grind. Something that could be a good practice in the long haul. One thing that came to mind was putting a smile on the face of someone new each day. Walking around Asbury (and other places too), I see people not living in daily joy. I see people burdened by something, while I’m not sure what, they’re burdened and it’s easy to see.
Recently, I’ve been reading Fearless by Max Lucado, a good book with some good ideas behind it. We, as a people, have learned to fear fear. One of my fears is meeting new people. Once I get comfortable with someone, on a personal level, I tend to be more open with them in everyday interactions. If I don’t know someone, I tend to put up my walls and not interact with them. See Katey Bartie, she went from a complete stranger to a sister, from never talking to each other to confidant status in a mere 10-week stint during the 2006 summer.
You may think that you haven’t made a good choice for this Lenten season. Maybe what you’ve chosen is too easy or perhaps, you’re in over your head. (note: being in over your head isn’t necessarily a bad thing.) I challenge you to challenge yourself, to push your pre-conceived limits. Challenges are, indeed, a good thing. They make us better people, they refine us much like the way that “iron sharpens iron”, Proverbs 27:17.
I’m accepting my challenge, will you?
I’m all in, brother. I think at its core the idea of “giving something up for Lent” is really about adding value. By giving up something that can be a nuisance or a hindrance we gain a better understanding of sacrifice and hopefully communion with God. By challenging ourselves to add value and purpose we are ultimately enabling ourselves to grow in our knowledge of our Lord and Savior.