I love:: tradition (16)

Dear friends,
Today is Ash Wednesday it marks 40 days until Easter (not including Sundays). Traditionally, there is an emphasis in giving up something to enhance your spiritual life. So there has been much discussion on what to give up for lent or what to bring on-- what does it mean, how do we focus on it, is it really important?

So the day is here, and I'm sure that me spending less time focusing on me and spending more time serving people-- friends and those in our community will give me the purpose I've been lacking lately.  I'm hoping to learn something or at least sit with some deep questions within my own soul in these next forty days.

Yesterday I listened to this report from Barbara Kingsolver who wrote, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle. It document's her families journey from the deserts of Arizona to a small farm in Appalachia. Their experiment included eating mostly local and sustainable foods for a year. It's a great book, and if you have time check it out.

But, what really struck me in the interview was that she said something to the effect of-- her journey began with a large proclamation, "I'm going to give up... " and ended with just a new way of life. An adaptation to the things that they had chosen. She equated her journey to a marriage-- a good one, where you make a proclamation and then the marriage becomes a way of life.

I'm hoping that some of the small changes we decide to make will not be a begrudging process, but that we look to it as a re-framing of circumstance, or a view of opportunity for growth. I'll share with you some of our little steps as it goes along. 

Do you participate in Lent? What kinds of things are you giving up, or have you given up?

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I found yesterday a 2008 Lenten Experiment to read about it from beginning to end visit her blog. Two people try to survive on a food stamps budget for the length of lent. Very interesting, with observations and recipes...