The Lentent Season

Lent is something I have never observed. I breifly heard about it as a kid, but never understood it, I do remember seeing some kids or adults with black ashes on their head and thought they looked incredibly silly. There is no way that I believe that now, after today I understand the true meaning of lent.

Previous to today, lent sounded to me like an excuse for someone to give up something and boast about it, maybe its a certain food..and they secretly hope to lose weight, or maybe its their cell phone and they tell all their friends ahead of time. While letting people know for certain reasons may be necessary, whatever we are fasting from should be kept between ourselves and our Heavenly Father, and if to be shared, only in the purpose of asking for accountability if needed or to ask if they would like to join you.

At the service today, we were encouraged to leave our woe's at the alter. We were presented on small sheet with the woes presented in Luke 6:20-24. These woes had to do with the love of riches, food, laughter, and pride. After recieving the ashes, we were asked to circle a woe that we would like to leave, and to meditate on it, leave it at the alter, and to take a blessing card. This blessing card contained the blessings in Luke 6:20-24.

I circled the woe of riches. I struggle with the use of money daily, I can rarely say no to buying something, and have to continually find new homes for all the clothes in my closet. This 40 days, I will not be buying any clothing, shoes, accessories or anything I do not need. Because honestly, the 10 pairs of black sweats in my closet are not going to be needing another addition any time soon.

After these 40 days, I am hoping to not feel the impulse to buy anything new, I am hoping that I will feel releived and be releived of my addiction to money and shopping.

This season I want to grow deeper in my relationship with God. I am going to wake up earlier and spend time with God in the morning, and hopefully that will lead to an all-day conversation with Him. Usually strict provisions like having to read my bible every single day would scare me away, but discipline for me is what produces results.

Luke 6:20-25
And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.“Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. “Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. “But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. “Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.