So here is my Lent to do/not to do. I am posting this to hold myself accountable and to give others motivation and support in their endeavors. And maybe a little catechises for those who read my blog and don't "get" Lent.
DG (my 7 yr. old) is a perfect example of why we as Catholics (and other Christian faiths) give things up for Lent. He is on a streak of, "If I don't want to or it isn't fun then I WILL NOT do it!" We need to train our wills. We need to be able to tell ourselves no. We need to be able to make sacra fices for others, ourselves, and God.
This leads me into what I have decided to do and why. I seriously thought about giving up Internet contact for Lent. I knew that was biting of more than I could chew. But I spend A LOT of my evenings on FB. And I haven't been good about taking personal prayer time. So now in place of FB during Lent, I will pray. I will continue to blog and email and read the news but no more countless hours of chatting and looking at pics and ...
However, this won't be hard for me. And sometimes we/I need a challenge. So DG comes by his struggle honestly. He gets it from me (and Adam). I have a very weak will in the things I perceive others telling me I can't or shouldn't do or even in the little things in my day. So, I have decided that I am going to do a GUS and TOM jar just like the kids. GUS and TOM= give something up and take on more - thanks Gayle at http://mom3crazygirls.blogspot.com/
This will force me to do the harder things for me -- the little ones. No soda today, no drive thru next time you get in the car, do a chore Blake would usually do before he would do it, take an extra 15 minutes in prayer, play whatever the kids want you to for 30 minutes...
Now before I publish this, I have one more question to ask. Why when I suggest someone give something up (when they ask for advice not unsolicited) or when I ask what people are giving up or I state what I am doing, do those around me get so defensive. Why is what I am doing in my faith life an affront to those who aren't doing it? Is it a guilt thing? I am confused by this.
I hope and pray my friends and family have a blessed Lent that leads them to a beautiful Easter Resurrection!
1 comment:
Bravo my friend! We have our TOM and GUS jars ready to go!! in addition, we are each giving up something for the entire 40 days! I am VERY sacrificially giving up my beloved diet coke! The girls are giving up varying degrees of soda (which they rarely get to have anyway) and sweets and hubby is giving up sweets! Shall be a "growing" 40 days for us all! We had lots more fun making up our 40 things for our TOM jar than our GUS jar - of course!! You can do anything one day at a time! Just got back from getting our ashes - the extra Latin for Lent always tongue ties me!!
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