It's Lent. Again.

Do you have the same reaction? Every year I approach Ash Wednesday with some level of a "been there, done that" attitude. I know what Lent is supposed to be, but over the years I have decided that I suffer from "Lent Fatigue" - I've tried different things, like giving things up (gum, soda, sweets, alcohol) or adding things on (reading Scripture daily, more time in prayer, volunteering), but I still find myself approaching Lent with a less-than-enthusiastic attitude.

So how do we make Lent special? 

I wish I knew the answer to that question. Or, in reality, I wish I knew the answer that would best apply to me, because I think the answer will be slightly different for each of us. And while I don't yet know if it will be effective, I have decided to try to be more intentional with celebrating Lent this year to try to break out of the doldrums. And I'm going to try doing that by using one simple phrase as a mantra: Change the Focus. For me, Lent is often too much about loss rather than gain, giving up rather than growing, and by changing the focus, I am going to work on a more positive Lenten experience this year. 

Looking back, I recall the year that I gave up dessert for Lent, which was a big sacrifice, since I'm from a family that always had dessert after dinner. I used to say that, in my family of origin, ice cream was a food group. So every night was a sacrifice, but I viewed it as a loss, and complained about it constantly. I even rationalized my way around it - after all, a donut isn't dessert, but a breakfast food (!!!) - and that left me unsatisfied, feeling guilty, and grumpy. 

This year, I'm trying to change the focus from a season of dryness, of reluctantly giving things up, and instead trying to treat it as a voyage of discovery. 

I'm trying to change my focus from it being a task, an obligation, to something that I look forward to as an opportunity to grow. 

Rather than making Lent be all about the things that I'm doing for God, I'm changing my focus to make it the season where I think about all of the things God does for me.

And in all of this, I'm going to try to be more intentional about my attitude. When I feel like it is just another Lent, I'm going to repeat my mantra of change the focus to remind myself to look at this season with a different lens. 

Will it work? I don't know yet, since it is just the first Sunday of Lent. But I'll let you know after Easter, and if you have thoughts about making Lent special, drop me an email. I'd love to know how you're celebrating these 40 days.

Peace!
-deacon mark

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