We’ve progressed 1 ½ weeks into the season of Lent. In a previous post I shared four wholistic Lenten habits that I am cultivating during the Lenten season. Are you doing anything in particular to make these forty days a significant time in your life?
I promised that I’d report my progress to you. My goals during Lent were to:
· Develop an attitude of gratitude—by identifying three “thankables” in the morning and in the evening.
· Express appreciation for others—by daily sharing my appreciation to someone in a letter, phone call or personal contact.
· Improve my health—by replacing sweets and empty carbs with fruits and vegetables. And,
· Nurture my relationship with God—by spending five minutes in silence listening for the voice of God.
I haven’t been perfect, but I’ve made some progress in my Lenten endeavors.
· Words of thanks are beginning to replace words of complaint.
· I’ve been deliberate in expressing my appreciation to others, but I have missed a couple of days.
· I’m eating more fruits and vegetables, but I haven’t made a noticeable reduction in my consumption of sweets.
· Five minutes of being quiet and still has been a doable for me. I’m not sure, though, if I’ll ever be able to develop the ability to be silent and still for much more than five minutes. There are times when that has seemed an eternity.
My reason for participating in a Lenten discipline is not to be more prepared for the afterlife. I’m practicing these disciplines so that I can experience more of the abundant and free life that is ours through Christ Jesus.
So, don’t be shy. Tell me and others who read this blog what you are doing for Lent and how that is affecting your life. I look forward to hearing from you.