Dreading Lent

Yesterday, I shared my LOVE for Lent. But recently someone told me that they dreaded Lent. Our conversation was immediately interrupted and we never got back to the subject of Lent. That wasn't avoidance, we were just in a room full of people and conversations drift, so we didn't really discuss it past that initial conveyance of dreading Lent versus loving it. However, I have been pondering this since then. I know there are varying opinions on Lent, I said as much in yesterday's post, but what is at the root of those differing opinions? I assumed it had much to do with the level of engagement in a person's faith; someone without faith would simply ignore it, someone lukewarm in their faith would dread it and someone all in and fully engaged in faith would love it, naturally. Right?! I guess not, because the person I was speaking to is "all in" in regard to faith, and yet, dreads Lent. So what could be at the root of dread? Sacrifice can be hard no doubt, it's difficult to remember the additions and subtractions in the ordinary carrying out of your daily tasks. It is about repentance and that in and of itself is difficult to confront, especially the act of confession. It is a long somewhat somber time. It can be the cause of self-examination and that can be less than pretty. But this is all speculation and imagination on my part. So in the absence of a deeper conversation, I've been thinking through this and with only my experience to go on I started with why do I love it? How and when did it happen?

I love lent for a few reasons:

1. Because it forces me to be intentional about decisions and actions and makes me acutely aware of things I do in "autopilot" that are harmful to me and/or others. And it causes me to reflect on why I do harmful things, albeit unintentionally.

2. Because Lent focuses on repentance, not to spotlight the wrong, but rather to make fully known the grace within forgiveness.

3. Because it causes me to more readily think and behave outside of self. To see the needs of others rather than my own. To look for opportunities to be like Jesus in my interactions in the world around me.

4. Because I can love all things better if I'm looking with Lenten eyes. Sort of like Christmas makes people at large nicer to one another; Lent brings this about with heightened acuity. Both seasons cause you to turn your attention outward rather than worrying about self, but Lent is not lost, or overshadowed by the materialism that so easily takes center stage during Christmas.

5. Most importantly, because Lent makes the salvation of Easter possible. There'd be no Easter without Christmas but the journey between the two is Lent.

   
   

For me, past Lenten sacrifices have included; no eating out, no shopping, not fast food, no snacking between meals, no losing my temper, etc. During each of these sacrifices I realized the somewhat hidden harm in each behavior and that I was doing these things far more than I thought. During each Lent respectively I had to stop, think and refrain. These things on paper do not seem particularly harmful until I started thinking about 'the why' I did things. It surprised me when I "gave up" shopping or fast food for example, to realize that it was a substitution for my own personal failures and not wanting to take those failures to God. Believing instead that these vices were not at all harmful and were not a hidden anything. Afterall fast food and shopping are innocuous and not insidiously eroding my faith. Right?! Of course right! Unless...

Each Lenten season I learn more about myself, more about God, and I begin to understand a tiny bit more of the purpose God has planned for me. If Lent can do all of this, how can I not love it? It's often really hard, but what I gain is worth the struggle, without question! If you count yourself among those who dread it, I'd love to hear your perspective in the comments.