Lent and I have a mixed relationship. But one year, three years ago, our 4th baby was born on Ash Wednesday. It was a difficult birth, and then we proceeded to run the gauntlet of ER visits, IV antibiotics, feeding struggles up the wazoo, and moving off the (very rural) ranch we'd been living at into my in-law's home. I drove 8 1/2 hours (more I'm sure with all the nursing stops) and remember feeling that the fact that everyone had clothes to wear for Easter the next day was a miracle. And yet, God was very present in all of that mess. I actually don't know (still) how it all worked out. How were we all alive at the end? God's grace is the only thing that makes it make sense. I maintain, that moving, postpartum, morning sickness, caregiving etc... can all be their own sort of Lent. But perhaps God knew I needed that lesson spelled out so he made it exceptionally clear -- baby born Ash Wednesday, move home the day before Easter. Our Easter picture from that year has baby goats running through it and the newborn is screaming, and everyone's hair is rumpled. And it's kind of perfect. A little memory of all the times we were finite and God wasn't.
There have been years where it seemed that our life was made up of a Lenten season all its own, and we decided in those years not to formally participate in a fast. We were learning from the Spirit all the same. This year is not such a year and I’ve been struggling to decide what to fast from. You see, in the past decade (give or take) the answer has been glaringly obvious. My husband and I both eliminated the internet to the best of our abilities (we used it for work and “necessary” things like looking up recipes or responding to messages), but the main thing we fasted from was social media. This year, even though I am still whittling away my excess tech use, the answer is not quite as obvious after deleting my last social media account last fall. I’ve been floundering on deciding what exactly my focus will be this Lent, but you have helped me narrow it down, and I believe I know what my plan is this year. Thanks for providing the clarity!
Rebecca and I just listened to your episode...acedia? We had never heard of that word, but it was exactly where I was last summer, even during our trip to Ireland.
In fact, a month before Ireland, I had discovered a prayer from Asherita CiuCiu named Overcoming Spiritual Apathy, from her book Prayers of Rest. That prayer put words to emotions I could not describe at that point. I even carried that prayer with me all through Ireland.
But today...oh Tsh, you took my emotions of most of 2023 and wrapped them up with one word, acedia. It's so much more of what I was feeling than just spiritual apathy, but also included that.
Thanks for this, what a gift. Seriously!
And we ordered your lent guide a few months ago so we're primed and ready to dive in.
Tsh, thanks for all the Lenten journey suggestions. I usually start small, and find a balance of all three: prayer, fasting, almsgiving. For people unfamiliar with Lent traditions, practices, I think it’s admirable that well-known personalities help bring the message of the Bible to the unchurched….i.e, Jonathan Roumie, Mark Wahlberg. Certainly can’t hurt.
Oooo I love all the ideas about the margin in our time - so often I lament (and hear others lament, too) that there's just "not enough time" for xyz. But I've found that when I go out on a limb and carve something important into my days, it turns out there IS time. My shoddy priotization just creates an illusion that there isn't!
Oh goodness, thank you Tsh--this i s super-practical. Thank you!
I'm so glad to hear!
Lent and I have a mixed relationship. But one year, three years ago, our 4th baby was born on Ash Wednesday. It was a difficult birth, and then we proceeded to run the gauntlet of ER visits, IV antibiotics, feeding struggles up the wazoo, and moving off the (very rural) ranch we'd been living at into my in-law's home. I drove 8 1/2 hours (more I'm sure with all the nursing stops) and remember feeling that the fact that everyone had clothes to wear for Easter the next day was a miracle. And yet, God was very present in all of that mess. I actually don't know (still) how it all worked out. How were we all alive at the end? God's grace is the only thing that makes it make sense. I maintain, that moving, postpartum, morning sickness, caregiving etc... can all be their own sort of Lent. But perhaps God knew I needed that lesson spelled out so he made it exceptionally clear -- baby born Ash Wednesday, move home the day before Easter. Our Easter picture from that year has baby goats running through it and the newborn is screaming, and everyone's hair is rumpled. And it's kind of perfect. A little memory of all the times we were finite and God wasn't.
There have been years where it seemed that our life was made up of a Lenten season all its own, and we decided in those years not to formally participate in a fast. We were learning from the Spirit all the same. This year is not such a year and I’ve been struggling to decide what to fast from. You see, in the past decade (give or take) the answer has been glaringly obvious. My husband and I both eliminated the internet to the best of our abilities (we used it for work and “necessary” things like looking up recipes or responding to messages), but the main thing we fasted from was social media. This year, even though I am still whittling away my excess tech use, the answer is not quite as obvious after deleting my last social media account last fall. I’ve been floundering on deciding what exactly my focus will be this Lent, but you have helped me narrow it down, and I believe I know what my plan is this year. Thanks for providing the clarity!
Remember you are but dust...➕
I'm so glad to hear, Abby!
Rebecca and I just listened to your episode...acedia? We had never heard of that word, but it was exactly where I was last summer, even during our trip to Ireland.
In fact, a month before Ireland, I had discovered a prayer from Asherita CiuCiu named Overcoming Spiritual Apathy, from her book Prayers of Rest. That prayer put words to emotions I could not describe at that point. I even carried that prayer with me all through Ireland.
But today...oh Tsh, you took my emotions of most of 2023 and wrapped them up with one word, acedia. It's so much more of what I was feeling than just spiritual apathy, but also included that.
Thanks for this, what a gift. Seriously!
And we ordered your lent guide a few months ago so we're primed and ready to dive in.
Tsh, thanks for all the Lenten journey suggestions. I usually start small, and find a balance of all three: prayer, fasting, almsgiving. For people unfamiliar with Lent traditions, practices, I think it’s admirable that well-known personalities help bring the message of the Bible to the unchurched….i.e, Jonathan Roumie, Mark Wahlberg. Certainly can’t hurt.
Oooo I love all the ideas about the margin in our time - so often I lament (and hear others lament, too) that there's just "not enough time" for xyz. But I've found that when I go out on a limb and carve something important into my days, it turns out there IS time. My shoddy priotization just creates an illusion that there isn't!