Lenten Thoughts

Yesterday, my 14-year-old son asked, "Mom, what are you giving up for Lent?" It's not really traditional with us Lutherans to put emphasis on giving up anything for Lent. But, sometimes we try. Two years ago I successfully gave up soft drinks for all of Lent. No doubt it is good to do something like that, for health reasons, if not for spiritual.

In the newspaper last evening, there were some good Lenten thoughts from a local Catholic pastor. He said we should give up things like judging others, using bad language, or being selfish. "We are talking about attempting a real change of heart. A change of who we are---rather than just the discipline of trying to give up some thing.", he said.

Later in the article, an Episcopal pastor is quoted as saying, "The tradition of going without involves removing distractions and dependencies to make room for something better." That would fit well with the idea of fasting from bad habits like being judgmental and selfish. Make more room in our personalities for kindness and caring. I don't know if just giving up some material frill like soda pop is going to make much of a spiritual difference. Maybe it will if we have the right mindset about it. When I gave up pop, I should have made an effort to do something spiritually enhancing like reading a Bible passage, or saying a prayer, at the time I ordinarily would have had a can of pop to drink.

It is bright and sunny here in Iowa today, although with a nippy north wind. The sunshine beckoned me outside for an afternoon walk. It's fun to once again be on the lookout for the first robin of spring!

Blessings!