It's Not in Your Pocket, it's in Your Heart

When you hear the word "Lent" you may think of  the cottony stuff found at the bottom of your pockets or even the gobs of it stuck in the dryer sheet, but for Christians it's a season of reflection about the upcoming suffering of Christ. I have participated in the season of Lent, which are the forty days leading up to Easter, ever since elementary school. Even though the church tradition my family is a part of does not participate my Lutheran private school did. As a child I remember having the pastor mark my forehead with ashes and deciding to give up sweets until Easter. 

As a young adult however, I'm thinking about taking up something for forty days. My heart has really been pressed to start intentionally reading the Bible for these forty days and to journal prayers. I also want to put away something so I have chosen to give up painting my nails. Now this may seem like a trivial thing, especially to the guys out there, but to me it's something that I do every two to three days. It will be difficult staring at my barren nails for forty days, because I know I can't do it. I can't do it alone, that is but with God all things are possible. 

So for tomorrow, Ash Wednesday the start of Lent, I hope for this season of Lent when so many Christians around the world are fasting or abstaining from one thing or another that ultimately we seek and find God closer to us than ever before.If you do not come from a background of participating in Lent, I hope this year will be the first of many. For all of those who do participate in Lent every year I pray this year you will grow in your faith and love for Christ.