"One of the principal disciplines of the spiritual life is attentiveness: being alert to the simple, often subtle ways that God's grace enters our lives. Often, we have to set aside our anxious preoccupations in order to see that our days are filled with mercies." - from a lent devotional by Emilie Griffin.
I find Lent can become somewhat of a strange preoccupation. Suddenly people I never really engage in "spiritual" conversations with are asking me what I have given up for Lent. Or announce what they have given up for Lent ... usually something in the form of sugar, caffeine, or fat. I find this interesting. In hopes that I am not coming across as judgmental, I just find myself wondering what we have made Lent into when overcoming our cravings for chocolate becomes our focus during this sacred time.
There have been seasons when I've given up chocolate for Lent. Or chips, or pop. When I reflect on those times, I wonder if by doing that I actually made more room for experiencing God in my life. Was it about discipline, an attempt to identify on a miniscule level with my Savior's suffering, or participating in a ritual that I didn't really understand?
For the past number of years, I have not given up anything for Lent. For one, I am weak. I cheat constantly and that heaps on the guilt. That really does not feel like I am drawing nearer to God. When I think about my longing to draw nearer to God, I realize that it is not chocolate or chips that gets in my way. It's things that steal my time. Now of course there are things that I give my time to that I cannot give up for Lent, but there are small - and sometimes not so small - time wasting activities that I allow myself to indulge in that if they were removed, that time may be filled more purposefully.
So during Lent this year, I am choosing to make more room to experience God's presence. I wish I could say it's a daily practice, but it's not always. But when I turn away from one of my time-wasting activities, I'm reminded to raise my awareness of God's presence in every moment.
-Candice
