Lent

For Lent this year I've decided to give up two things and take on one.

First, I'm giving up McDonald's.  Well, all fast food really.  Anything that has a drive-through window is out of the question for the next several weeks.  This may seem like an easy one to you, but as a lazy person single mom, I rely on this way too much.  Plus it's been my go-to dinner after Bible study on Wednesday nights. 

Next I think I'm going to give up staying up late on weeknights.  There's really no good reason to be up past 11 on a work night.  I may have to find a way to fight through insomnia's grip (no, not going to medicate....yet) until I get there.  But the intent still stands; lights out, TV and laptop off by 11.

Now for the taking on.  I actually wasn't thinking of taking anything on until church tonight when the pastor mentioned it as an option.  There's a bunch of things that would make sense to add to my days - devotions, reading my Bible, prayer, contemplative time - I don't know.  These are all great and necessary things.  But I kind of already do them, so I was afraid they'd fall into the realm of counterfeit (see yesterday's post). 

So for Lent, I'm taking on sin. 

I'm not going to try to completely eliminate it; as if that's even possible.  The more I pretend that it doesn't exist, the more insidious and powerful it becomes.  No -  I'm going to sin boldly.  I'm going to embrace it.  But I'm going to look my deficient character in the eye and own my transgressions instead of ignoring them or making excuses for them.  Perhaps, after 40 days of that, I will have the upper hand and.be prepared to rejoice more boldly on Easter.