Discovering Lent
“I am giving up chocolate milk for 40 days,” my sister Dawn announced, “for Lent.” I was 16 at the time and Dawn was a big college kid. “Lent is a practice in the Catholic Church,” she continued, “and you give up something for 40 days. I am giving up chocolate milk.”
It would be three more years before I began to practice Lent. It took me some time to sort out the meaning and beginnings of Lent. I could not find a reference to it in the Bible and was leery of it for awhile. In the end, however, my curiosity beat out my confusion and my Spiritual Disciplines have not been the same since.
When I first began practicing Lent at age 19 (I am now 35), it was a lonely experience in my world full of non-Lent-practicing Protestants. That has changed over the last few years as my church has incorporated the practice. My Lenten experiences have grown and matured over the years along with my faith. In many ways I am not a good Christian, at least not in the way that we measure Christianity. I rarely read my Bible. My prayers do not begin with “Dear Jesus” and end with “Amen.” Fasting, however, is a practice that works for me. I feel so close to God when I am in the middle of a fast and I cannot explain the spiritual connection, except to tell you that through my fasts I have learned how to be a better Christian and how to pursue the best possible way to live.
I wish I could remember what I gave up that first year or even every other year. I cannot remember. What I can remember, however, is how I have come to love this season in the Christian calendar.
The first Lent I recollect is 1996. I was 22 and it was my first year as a missionary in Philadelphia. I had recently discovered the joy and addiction of coffee and that same year I gave up coffee. Oh the headaches! My suffering was real and I often thought of Christ. Every single time I craved a cup of coffee I decided to pray. I have never prayed so much in my young life as I did during those 40 days. Let me say that again: I gave up coffee and found a way to understand the suffering of my Savior. And Easter morning was welcomed with a large pot of deliciously brewed relief. It was a true celebration unlike I had ever known and not because I was drinking coffee once again (and all was right with the world), but because I spent 40 days getting ready.
Unfortunately there was an unexpected side effect to giving up coffee. I started to drink Mountain Dew. Normally I do not drink soda but caffeine had written its name on my life. Although I felt great about not drinking hot coffee from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday a part of me felt like a failure because I was unable to free myself from the grip of caffeine.
The following year I gave up liquid caffeine, wrongly assuming this would keep me from my addiction. It was then that I discovered chocolate. The next year I gave up caffeine in all forms possible and my struggle was complete. Over the last 16 years I have given up TV, coffee, meat, coffee, snacks and coffee. There were years when I tried to add something new to my life but it seems easier to fast. I have learned that I will always be addicted to coffee and no longer attempt to cease its consumption during Lent.
The year that I gave up meat proved to be terribly insightful. About three weeks into Lent I realized my skin was clear. I had not suffered an eczema outbreak since Fat Tuesday. I started to research food allergies and eczema and realized that I may, in fact, be allergic to meat. Shortly after Easter I used the scientific method to determine that I really am allergic to meat and within the year I went to a food allergist and confirmed my findings. It is because of Lent that I am now a vegetarian and am almost completely eczema free.
In the past, I have often found that Christmas and Easter have come, passed, and left me feeling empty. Christmas still feels this way to me. Easter does not. Lent for me is a deeply spiritual practice and not just about giving up My Precious. It is the only time of the year that I am diligent about reading my Bible and praying. It helps to ground me in the season leading up to the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. My experiences help me appreciate just a smidge more of how much my Savior loves me and what he was willing to do for me. The practice of giving up something I love daily reminds me to turn to Christ in a way that I seem unable to do during the rest of the year. Lent gives me purpose and focus. By the time Holy Week arrives I am passionately in love with Jesus again. I have spent more than seven weeks waiting in anticipation to see the events of this week unfold. I am on the edge of my seat. This is the story we have been waiting for.
Posted on February 23, 2009 12:42 PM
Comments
Diane! I loved reading this. Thanks so much for writing it.
I have decided: I will practice Lent this year. I will not give up coffee. I might give up Facebook.
HFCS: a tough one to avoid. I wish you well, and I'm looking forward to your post-Lent follow-up article... and any tricks for avoiding the stuff that you can offer.
Posted by: Sara Johansson | February 23, 2009 3:20 PM
Very nice Diane. I'm getting goose bumps as I anticipate Lent. Easter IS the most powerful and important day of the year in my opinion. I'm giving up movies (rented, theatre, tv, all forms). I am also fasting to DO something: write or read for 30 uninterrupted minutes each day.
Posted by: Daniel VanDeSteeg | February 23, 2009 4:22 PM
Oh, my friend....
Yet another great article you have written.
What spoke to me the most was the way in which you depicted how much you look forward to Lent over all the seasons and I. get. that. There is something so much more spiritual and satisfying about this time and I don't know of another in which I feel closer to God than Lent. It's almost tangible in the way one feels they are journeying alongside Him during this time and equally exciting and rejuvenating.
Thanks for writing about this. Let the season begin!
Posted by: alycia | February 23, 2009 7:34 PM
I love your straight forward story here. No fluff talk. Your honesty always draws me in. I don't want to read about perfect people who succeed every time. No. I want to read about people like me. People who try, fail, and try again (and again, and again) and who learn from it every time.
Well done.
Posted by: Victoria Fanning | February 24, 2009 5:45 AM
I had a great time reading your article.
I decided to give up chocolate for Lent this year. And I amsupposed to have a "chocolate" date tomorrow with a friend. Can you believe it? So I'm cancelling.
And then on Friday, I have this big reunion dinner with my old roommates. We do this twice a year. And someone said, "who is bringing the chocolate cake?" And I said, "Nevermind. Don't."
---
It is already more difficult than I thought it would be. But I hope for some sacrificial Jesus intimacy...your words were encouraging. And funny.
22 and addicted to coffee. Poor poor girl. :)
I like you.
Posted by: Elizabeth Zabel | February 24, 2009 10:38 AM
I had a great time reading your article.
I decided to give up chocolate for Lent this year. And I amsupposed to have a "chocolate" date tomorrow with a friend. Can you believe it? So I'm cancelling.
And then on Friday, I have this big reunion dinner with my old roommates. We do this twice a year. And someone said, "who is bringing the chocolate cake?" And I said, "Nevermind. Don't."
---
It is already more difficult than I thought it would be. But I hope for some sacrificial Jesus intimacy...your words were encouraging. And funny.
22 and addicted to coffee. Poor poor girl. :)
I like you.
Posted by: Elizabeth Zabel | February 24, 2009 10:39 AM
Great article! I love the ritual of fasting. I've stopped trying to force any meaning/relevance out of christianity anymore, but fasting/giving up still is just as meaningful (actually, moreso, for me) without.
I was laughing, though, just remembering back when I was going to church, and I gave up kitchen appliances one year. It's a long screwball comedy that involved brewing coffee in a pan with pantyhose. Oy!
Posted by: Blythe Gatewood | February 24, 2009 1:00 PM
Love the article...
Posted by: Aaron McNany | February 24, 2009 1:04 PM
Thanks for this, Diane. Growing up Catholic, I have fond memories from childhood Lents - usually of giving up either chocolate or candy - but what I remember most about Lent is that sense of communal sacrifice and anticipation. I think your article captured that perfectly.
Keep up the great work...can't wait to hear about your Lent!
P.S. I've been working on the no-HFCSs business too, so I'll email you some of my finds so far :) Just think...your Lenten sacrifice will double as an educational opportunity on the evils of federally subsidized corn!
Posted by: sara | February 24, 2009 1:09 PM
Thanks, Diane! I loved reading your experience of discovering Lent. I agree that it can be (if you explore it) the most reflective & meaningful part of the Church year! I always feel very letdown at Eastertime if I haven't walked through Lent.... it's life-affirming & life-changing!
Posted by: Stefany Welch | February 24, 2009 1:11 PM
Diane--
thanks for writing this, it was something I needed to read tonight.
I miss you and think about you all often!
grace & peace
Posted by: Esther Dwyer | February 24, 2009 9:35 PM
Lent really does prepare your heart during this season. It's learning to sacrifice things you love that are of this world in an act to celebrate what is NOT of this world. Lent makes the celebration of Good Friday and Easter Sunday that much more exciting and meaningful.
I was like you Diane, I always wanted to avoid religious traditions, and my then girlfriend Jennifer (currently fiance) sacrificed something every year, and I didn't understand it until I participated myself.
I love how those outside of our faith react because then it leads to questions, which gives me an opening to explain the story of the Gospel. This is my favorite season, and I too, have been anticipating it.
Thanks for the article post!
Posted by: Kyle Lane | February 25, 2009 10:54 AM
Thanks for this great article about Lent. I'll post my thoughts for anyone else having an OFF year. As an adult, this has been my very favorite time of year; it's spiritually beautiful...indescribable. But I have to say that this past year, the Lord has taken away so much that I decided not to give up anything else. Ooo, that sounds like a bad attitude, but it's really just realizing that life is Lent right now, and hanging onto what creature comforts are left. But I'm still hoping to seek and find Jesus in a special way during these weeks.
A funny comment overheard in an Old Town boutique last Lent, one female employee talking to another: "I gave up martinis for Lent. (In a stricken voice:) It's been AW-ful!!!"
Posted by: maria | March 1, 2009 5:40 PM
Thanks for this! I can totally relate (although not to the corn syrup and tomato-based products!). I live in Mozambique where Lent is not recognized at all, and there's actually little to give up. This year I've given up Facebook. My struggle always in giving something up is: am I using this to rely on God more, or is it a practice in developing more self-determination/stubbornness?
Posted by: Jen | March 2, 2009 3:40 AM