We are in the middle of Lent which began on March 6th and goes until April 18th. Lent is a season of forty days, not counting Sundays, which begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Holy Thursday. Lent comes from the Anglo Saxon word “lencten”, which means “spring.” Lent is the Christian season of preparation before Easter. The Lenten season is a time when many Christians observe a period of fasting, repentance, moderation, self-denial and spiritual discipline.The significance of the 40-day period of Lent is based on two episodes of spiritual testing in the Bible: the 40 years of wilderness wanderings by the Israelites after the exodus from Egypt and the Temptation of Jesus after he spent 40 days fasting in the wilderness.
People who observe Lent typically make a commitment to fast, or to give up something-a habit, such as smoking, watching TV, swearing, or a food or drink, such as sweets, chocolate, or coffee. Others also take on a Lenten discipline to draw nearer to God.
I met a beautiful nun one day who shared with me that Lent is a wonderful time to give up any of the following insteaad:
The Need To Be Right
Impatience
Gossip
Negative Self Talk
Scolding
Busy-ness
Overspending
Anxiety
What can you GIVE UP for Lent?
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Tracy Fox