Lent 2020

I'll open this post by sharing this: I'm not the best at year-to-year consistency when it comes to holidays or seasons of discipline.

I've had Christmases where one year I'll send out like 30 cards, via snail mail, to friends, and I'll buy 6-7 close friends/family actual presents; and then the next year, I'll remember that I need to do something on Christmas Eve, which will result in a bunch of e-cards, maybe not to all 30, but perhaps 10 or 15 folks. Maybe one person will actually get a present.

Lent has been the same way: I grew up in a church that was big into the church calendar, so I understood and understand the importance of a season of setting aside things to grow closer to God, to become more like Jesus, etc. But, through my blogging history (I haven't checked to see how many Lent-specific posts I've carried over to the current blog from the previous one), I've often had one year on, one year off, one year on, one year off, when it has come to intentionality with Lent.

Today is Ash Wednesday, and Lent snuck up on me this year. Last year, it didn't, and I was ready for it even before the season began. (I burned out halfway through regarding the daily disciplines, but that's another story for another time...) You can check out my 2019 Lenten devotional series here: (post #1, post #2, post #3, post #4, post #5, post #6, post #7, post #8.)

My excuse this year is I've been stressed, busy, [blessed,] ... and sick. Not the kind of sick that's contagious and keeps me from being able to go to work, thank God. But the kind of sick that, in at least a couple facets, has forced me to begin Lent early, to give a few things up. I haven't had coffee in at least two weeks, and I identify as a morning jolt addict. Without getting too detailed, I've had this precise type of sickness off-and-on for the last couple years, and I'm finally starting to take to mind and heart the reality that I may have to completely give up coffee for the rest of my life. I've also had to restrict my diet a lot, consuming largely only soft food and liquids over the last week straight.

As for blogging, if you saw my post a few weeks ago about lack of direction (check it out here), in addition to not having a plan for Lent, I much less have a plan to blog Lenten devotionals. Not that I won't do it. But, with so many different life things coming to a head (some good, some hard), I'm finding I have much less headspace. That, and I have been remaining in Scripture most days, as well as my own private disciplines of doing regular devotionals, mindfulness cards, and personal prayer art. What was on my blog last year not only during Lent but also during the month when my church prayed and fasted has now been moved to another medium.

So my plan for Lent looks like continuing what I've been doing the last few weeks. I'll show up next whenever it is I feel like it.

Till then, here is today's Biblegateway.com verse of the day:

This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. --1 John 4:9 NIV
A nice parallel to John 3:16.