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Last Wednesday signaled the beginning of a liturgical cycle observed by many Christian churches: the season of Lent. I have considered Lent an important time of year ever since joining a church in my teens. As I have evolved, the meaning of the season has changed for me as well.
For many years, Lent was basically a time to diet. Fasting was just another way to lose unwanted pounds. In addition, I liked the opportunity to strengthen my will power. As a teenager and young adult, I struggled with questions of who I was and who I wanted to become. In the process, I was dismayed by the power of ingrained patterns and the difficulty of making wise and different choices.
In midlife, I considered the possibility that a different approach to Lent could be more meaningful. Instead of giving something up, I strove to build a positive habit during the season. One memorable year, I wrote a letter to someone different every day for 40 days. The resulting re-connection with far-flung loved ones was rewarding and reinforced the definition of God as love. A few years ago, I decided to meditate every morning during Lent, initiating a practice that remains welcome in my busy life.
This year I continued the search for a "just-right" Lenten observance. I began, as usual, thinking about abstinence. Then I turned to good deeds. Then my friend Sharon recommended a book: Simplifying the Soul, by Paula Huston. One click and three days later, it appeared in my mailbox. In this book, Huston sets forth a series of Lenten practices that build simplicity. She sets a theme for each day and suggests a practice that exemplifies the theme. I quickly decided that I would follow her lead this Lent. In doing so, I chose to relinquish the pursuit of willpower in favor of obedience. I traded in the strengthening of self for letting go and doing what I am told.
I find that the path of personal growth often entails this type of balance. On the one hand, I want to take charge of life, impose reason over emotion, and accept responsibility for my responses to events. On the other hand, I aspire to going with the flow, welcoming what-is, and struggling less with what-might-be. I believe, in depth, that peace comes not with control but with release. This year I am looking for the simplicity of letting another person lead the way on my Lenten journey.
Is Lent a meaningful time of year for you? If so, how do you engage its challenge to repent, fast, pray, and prepare to receive the good news of Easter Day?
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