Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Lent

So, I guess today is the start of the season of Lent.  To be quite honest, I have never really given much thought or care to this religious tradition and I don't really know why.  The more I've been reading up on it and considering it, I realize that it may just be something that I should attempt to put into practice this year.
For those of you not familiar with Lent, it is basically a 40 day long period of fasting and/or prayer before Easter, The Resurrection of our Lord.  The 40 days represent the 40 days that Jesus spent in the desert, when He was tempted by Satan.  The practice of Lent is to prepare our hearts for celebrating Christ's resurrection.  This year, it starts today and ends on April 9th - my birthday!  How appropriate to choose to start a fast that will be culminated on the celebration of my birthday!  Well, I think so, at least! ha.
Ok, so I've really been pondering what I should choose to 'fast' from for the next 40 days. There is one thing I am addicted to that I know, full well, distracts me from spending any time with God.  What's that?  Oh man, you're looking at it!  The ding dang computer!  I have a severe addiction.  It started to grow exponentially as I've become a stay at home mom....I am desperate for contact with the outside world!!  "Somebody, please email me...talk to me....anything" - that's my inner plea each day.  But, I sadly had to ask myself:  Am I as desperate for contact with my Savior?  hhhmmmmm....for awhile I've kinda been avoiding this question cuz I know the answer!  I've let myself get into that 'rut' that we are all too familiar with, from time to time.  And, one thing that really detracts me from taking this question seriously is my addiction to the computer...the internet.  Ugh.  I sit down with my breakfast, look at my Bible, and then longingly look over at this damn thing and say to myself:  "ok, I'll just check the email very quickly, otherwise I know I won't be able to concentrate until my curiosity is satiated".  So, my quick check of the email turns into 30 minutes of aimlessly wandering around the internet...and then, whoops, Vienne wakes up. No time for Bible reading.  And, thus my cycle goes.  Pathetic, eh?  Yes.  Yes, I know it is. 

Now, I realize that I have to be realistic with how I choose to go about this.  I know that I cannot go 40 whole days without popping on here.  So, I have decided to choose a time of day that I typically am on here and refrain so that I may turn that time into devotion time. Breakfast time will be that time. 

So, yeah. I guess...well, since I spent most of my free time today writing this, that I will have to start tomorrow.  One day late.  Oh well.  At least I spent today thinking about it...that counts for something, right?  hehe.
If anyone who reads this (all 4 of you!) has chosen something for Lent as well, please share! Let's keep each other accountable!

3 comments:

Pink Dogwood said...

I look forward to hearing how things go with abstaining from the computer each morning. Good luck!

ChaChaneen said...

Good AFTERNOON, cuz I KNOW you won't be reading this in the MORNING. (smile) I've never given the Lent period much thought either because I always associated it with the Catholic religion - No Thank You! Your words give it a new spin that I liked but I don't think I can look at it differently though. ha ha

Good luck in your 40 day journey and don't be so hard on yourself sweetie!

Anonymous said...

I was kind of thinking of doing the same thing. Instead I was going to limit myself to an hour of computer time a day, cause I know sometimes I veg here for like 5 hours! I'm not even kidding... true confessions of an addicted blog reader, right here! I think it will be really good for me. Today, i think I've already maxed out, so I should head to bed!