Hit by Lent

Lent.  This one has been awesome.  And when I say awesome, what I really mean is awful…which is technically awesome in this case since Lent is supposed to be a great time to refashion and prepare yourself for remembering the death and rising of Jesus.  Usually my Lenten seasons are just like any other seasons in life except they’re peppered with a few self-imposed restrictions or additions throughout; those with the hopes of molding me into a holier version of me.

But I’m so grateful.  I’m grateful for the past week.  I found out last Friday that I had somehow developed sciatica in my right leg (I know it’s not uncommon to have it during pregnancy but I’ve never had it with prior pregnancies).  If you have never experienced that, I hope you never do.  It was some of the worst pain I’ve ever experienced in my life.  Two Sunday nights ago I had to call Anthony home from work because I had literally folded down to the ground in pain (and sobs) and couldn’t get up.  It was a crutch in so many ways.  Not only did I have big plans to potty-train Sebastian Monday but I had, hello, three toddlers that are still very dependent at my beck and call.  Not ideal.  Thankfully, oh so thankfully, the South is real big on Mardi Gras and so Anthony was off Monday and Tuesday.  He potty-trained Sebastian while Sebastian was sick with an awful cold.  He cooked.  He cleaned.  He took over.  He’s pretty amazing.

So my first week of Lent pretty much sucked. 

(PS, though it looks like Anthony purposefully tripped our daughter, he was actually going for the ball at the same time she decided to put another foot foward and accidentally tripped up was the name of the game.  No need to alert CPS.)

But, I’m not here to throw a pity-party for myself or to complain about how hard Lent has been so far.  Nor do I want any “Oh, I’m so sorry”s  Like I said, the trials have been blessings in the form of lots of redemptive suffering (What’s that?  Ok, go deeper.) and so I’m very thankful for that.  There are so many people suffering a thousand times more than me and who need my prayers now.

How has your Lent been?  Maybe you’re still struggling with how or what to do to grow.  It’s always so hard.  Do I give up soda like I do every single year?  Do I pray for an extra 20, 30, 40 minutes every day?  I’ve been so inspired by Jenny’s post on acceptance with joy.  I can go down my list of trials from the past week and just accept them with joy…and a deep breath.  It’s been so, so, so good for me.  I really encourage you to read it to help take the monotony out of choosing what you’re going to give up or add this Lent and just sit back in your state of life and let God decide.  

And while we’re on the subject of inspiring reads…

Being on the down and out last week was perfect timing for me to whittle at the unreads in my reader and read this post from Kathryn.  I’m such a do-er (you’d never have guessed, right?) and so not being able to do anything is so hard for me.  But her post made me sit back, look at all of these undone things that I have around here and ask myself whether or not pushing to get them done today is worth it.  I love making my house a home but with my go-get’em personality, I feel like I can easily get wrapped up in a project, in project-planning, or just trying to get something done as fast as I can.  I know that’s not a bad thing persay, but sometimes I do just need to slow down and sometimes it’s worth it to slow down.  And sometimes, hopefully never again, but sometimes I have to slow down because every time I move I get a shooting pain down my back and leg…  However you can relate, her post is a must read. 

Britt said it best – “Lent is Hard”.  It’s a time for sacrifice and change and, when inflicted upon yourself for your own sake, that is hard.  But it is so, so good.  We as Christians fail somewhat if we are content in who we are; in who we currently are spiritually.  There should always be more striving and more fire being added to our flames.  (Pssst…I’m talking to myself more than you.)  The Prayer of Humility has been on my mind recently (the prayer itself is amazing but when Audrey sings her version, I crumble) and I love that she ended her post with it.

So, lent.  The harder, the better.  Easter is on its way and until then “When you pass through the water, I will be with you; in the rivers you shall not drown”  Isaiah 43:2 

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Today is the 18th and I wrote this post yesterday.  Today also happens to be the day of my birth and 15 minutes after we all woke up this morning, our electricity went off and stayed off for about 45 mintues (a very rare occurence at our casa).  It nixed my anticipation and excitement for having my favorite french toast for breakfast and also Anthony being able to stay home a little later since he didn’t have internet to get a little work done.  I just laughed it off and, yep, accepted it with joy because apparently, it’s all par for my Lenten course this year.  Really, it ain’t no big deal.  No pity here.  Worse things have happened and to be cliche “what doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”, right?  See also Romans 5:  3-5  :)

God is good.