Season of Lent

This Wednesday kicked off our Lenten season, and for the next 40 days we will spend time growing closer to Jesus as we prepare for Easter. Lent has never really been my favorite time of the year, because it is always a challenge – but that’s the point! We are supposed to give up things that are seen as a “luxury” to us, or do acts of kindness, or make more efforts to do something important like going to the gym. This is to replicate the sacrifice that Jesus made for us when He died on the cross. If He can do that for us, we can do this one little thing for 40 days out of the year. 

This year, I’ve decided to give up chips. Like I said in one of my earlier blog posts, chips are my weakness. If I see them lying around, I will start munching on them until they are gone, or someone literally tears the bag from my hands. I figured this would be a good challenge for me, and also help my health in the long run. It’s not going to be easy, and I was already craving the bag of Doritos we had sitting in the cupboard on Wednesday evening, but I will get through it! Forty days will hopefully go quickly. I told Nathan on Tuesday before Ash Wednesday that I was going to eat the whole bag of Doritos before I couldn’t eat them anymore, but I’m glad he gave me that disapproving glance and convinced me not to; even if they’ll just sit in my cupboard and taunt me for the next 40 days. 

As usual, we can’t eat any meat on Ash Wednesday or any Friday during lent, only fish. This is always really hard too, just because so much of what we eat includes meat. I don’t think there’s been a single year where I haven’t accidentally forgot it was a no meat Friday and I’ve broken the rule. I wonder how long it’ll take for me to forget this year. I\’m doing good so far!

Besides just giving up chips for Lent, I’ve also decided that I need to make an effort to do something fun on the weekends. Lately, Nate and I have been incredibly lazy on the weekends. I will normally go to swim practice in the mornings, but then most of the day we are just napping or watching tv. I know it’s been cold and miserable outside, but we live so close to DC and there’s no reason we shouldn’t be getting out more to enjoy it! I want to use this time while we live here and are still young to get out and make some memories. 

I’ve also been slacking a little bit on the book that I’m writing. I’m starting to use my excuses again that I’m too tired or too busy. Not because I don’t want to work on it, but because I’m in a bit of a funk where I can’t figure out what I want to put next. It’s hard, I always knew it would be, but I didn’t know it’d be this difficult! I’m going to make an effort during Lent, and continuing after Lent as well, to work on it a little bit everyday to see if I can get myself out of this funk and back into a rhythm. I think this is the perfect opportunity to give myself that extra push I need.

As you can see, I’ve got a lot to work on during this Lenten season, but I think it will all be worth it in the end. It’s going to be hard and will take some work, but that is the whole point of Lent. I need to challenge myself and sacrifice some of the little things that I enjoy to really get the most out of this time.

I\’m curious to see what other people do for Lent. Do you give up something, or do you make a promise to do less or more of something? I want to know! Let\’s help each other be accountable for our plans this year. I want to stick to my plans and I want to help you stick to yours. Let\’s do Lent together!

Until Next Time! 🙂

Megan Reiffenberger