As much as I love the christmas season, my heart craves the lenten season even more. I love the holidays with the hustle and bustle. The getting together with friends and family and sharing meals and time together. But the Lenten season is a totally different feeling. This is the time of year where I stretch my faith and grow my relationship with God.
The last several years have been 40 days of laying things down. I have given up facebook, tv, soap operas, sweets, and caffeine. The more I have “sacrificed” the less of these I have partaken in, besides the coffee 🙂 This year I was thinking what in the world could I give up. As I have grown in my relationship with God these things aren’t things that take a center in my life. So this year I wasn’t sure what I would lay down that would really be a sacrifice. Although I am not a control freak or planning obsessed, I have realized that I do like to be in control of my life. I like to be the one who makes decisions for myself and for my family. Over the last several weeks I have needed to give up more and more of my control which has become more and more difficult for me. So for the next 40 days I plan on starting my day off by laying my worries, my anxiety, and my control at the foot of the cross and letting God have a little more control.
When laying something down you should always pick up a practice in it’s place. Though I have a good relationship with God I get so busy that I never give him time to talk to me. Sometimes I am so busy I swear he is telling me to shutup and listen. I am setting aside 30 minutes a day of quietness. No noise, cell phones, tvs, computers, or distractions. I may not even pray of read. I think sometimes God just wants us quiet.
Not only does my spiritual life need this, so does my family. Over the next 40 days I plan on making my family more of a priority. Work will always be there, people will always have questions and needs. But sometimes I neglect my family of 4 and get busy with the life around me.
My hope is that over the next 40 days I can lay down some bad habits and pick up some good practices. I want to hear God when he speaks to me, and I can’t if I am always talking. I want to spend time with my kids, but I can’t if I am always working. I want Him to et my paths, but I can’t follow them if I am the one making the plans.
I love the challenge to better myself! What are you laying down for lent?