What I Love About the Season to Come

 Confession is good for the soul.  I stink at fasting.  Really.  I forget.  I overpromise God and I fail...a lot.  If we measure Lent by adhering to one's promise to God, I am a faithless human being most of the time...and Lent, being bigger than my grandest ambitions is a great teacher of humility, because my flesh is weak weak weak.   

Success at Lent measured by letting God lead me, those stick out like jewels...volunteering in college one year, going to daily mass another, calling my sister every day to say a "Hail Mary," and one year (just one), where I gave up chocolate for the whole year, as a form of prayer.  So right now, you'll see tons of articles about "how to make this the best Lent ever" and "On beyond chocolate..." and the like.   I'm going to tell you, discernment about what God wants to give you, is part of the process.   My best Lenten plans have come from God, not me.   

What Lent teaches you, depends upon how much you're willing to listen.  Lent at the start typically has me doing a lot of talking.   This year I'm going to...and I pile on..and I read an article and that sounds good so I add to it...and I think of something I've been meaning to do, and I add it, and my Lenten promises become a virtual buffet of spiritual ambition. What all my Lents up to now have taught me, is I haven't changed since elementary school.  Sherry is very enthusiastic and creative, but she talks in class.  

Fortumately, I haven't worn out Christ like I did my teachers during school.   

One thing I know, often what God wants to tell us is the opposite of our plans.  So I'm going to try and do the opposite of my normal approach of picking everything from the menu.   I'm picking one thing.  I'm also normally talk or write of my plans for Lent.  It's a natural response of a writer, to use everything as grist for the mill.  Surrendering that temptation, to talk about it, to share it, is part of the process of trying to invert or subvert my own proclivities.  

My writing brain is already pitching a royal fit. If you don't write it down, you won't remember it.  If you don't tell others, they won't remind you.   I already know, it's the right call because of that reaction.  So, if you want to know what I love about Lent, it's that it is always an opportunity to be led, we just have to follow, and trust that this desert season is necessary for our souls, and the one leading us, will see us through safely if we allow Him.   

Get ready for Lent. Ash Wednesday is February 17th.   Ask God to help you listen and follow Him into the desert.