Thankful for Lent

Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of the Lenten season. I remember, as child growing up, Lent was about giving something up. You couldn't eat meat on Fridays. Some days you weren't supposed to eat much of anything at all. The music in church took on a somber note. Everything about Lent was, well, a little bit depressing... It wasn't until the last few years that my mindset about Lent began to change, and something that occurred this morning helped me turn a corner.

Because I have to work late tonight, I decided to go to Mass first thing this morning, at 6:45 am. Abby had a bit of a rough night last night, waking up at odd hours and not wanting to go back to sleep. Needless to say, I was VERY tired when the alarm clock started going off this morning, and I was barely able to drag myself into the shower. As I'm washing my hair, I hear a bird chirping. It's the middle of winter, and it was a brisk 29 degrees this morning. And yet, there was a bird outside singing his beautiful song as the sun rose.

At this point, it all clicked into place. Lent isn't about giving things up, although that can be an important part of the journey. Lent is a gift. God has given us this time to examine ourselves: our lives, our relationships with others, and, most importantly, our relationship with Him. As a patient parent, He gives us this season to reflect and pray, to show contrition for our sins, and to use our time and talents to assist our brothers and sisters.

So much of our lives are spent in preparation. As a student, you study in preparation for exams. You practice driving in order to earn your driver's license. You go to marriage preparation classes before getting married, and you go to childbirth classes before welcoming your child to the world. To paraphrase an old saying: Anything worth having is worth working for. Before we can share in the joy of Easter, we need to prepare ourselves. Jesus' sacrifice is the greatest gift and blessing imaginable. If these other events require advance preparation, how much more effort should we put into preparing ourselves for the miracle of the Resurrection?

So, while I will be giving up something for Lent (old habits die hard, right?), I'll also be working on myself. Trying to walk closer to my God. Trying to be a better wife and mother. Trying to be a better co-worker. Some of the specifics still need to be worked out, but I have a hopeful feeling in my heart today. Instead of concentrating on what I must leave out of my life, I'll be concentrating on how to best fill up my life.