The first thing most of us think of when preparing for Lent is what we're going to give up. But take a break from all that wistful pondering of all the chocolate you're not going to eat, and ponder this for awhile: what are you going to take on?
Specifically: what are you going to think about more during Lent?
One of the best uses of any given church season is to choose a meditation subject for the season. Find a part of scripture, a theme, a poem, a book, a passage. Sit still for a moment, and let whatever nagging thought that's been hanging around your head the last few weeks finally get your attention. Is there something you've been neglecting? Something the Lord's been trying to bring your attention to? Is there a habitual sin it's finally time to kick? A virtue you're finally strong enough to start practicing? A subject that it's finally time to study?
One year I decided to spend Lent reading and rereading John Donne's sonnet "What if this present were the world's last night?", and C.S. Lewis' essay "The World's Last Night", and thinking about the themes presented in them, namely, repentance and the Lord's second coming. It was awesome. I learned things that changed the way I lived my life.
And it's about time to find a theme for this year's Lent. Don't do this entirely on your own. Do it with the Lord. (And what do I know? Maybe he'll tell you this form of Lenten discipline isn't for you!)
It lacks about a week and a half till Lent. Just enough time to pray, to think, and to decide. I really encourage you to look into finding a Lenten meditation subject. It makes a rich season that much richer.
peace of Christ to you,
Jessica
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