The last time I observed Lent, it was a disaster.
My friends in my small group were all making their Lenten intentions, and though it was not my denomination’s practice, I wanted to join them. I decided to fast from snacking. I announced my decision to the group, and deliberately did not bring my favourite foods home that week. I was determined to give them up for the next forty days.
It was awful. I tried to pray, but my mind couldn’t focus. I had fasted before, but I’d never felt like this. My hands shook, my head ached. I was irritable and irrational. All I could think about was how hungry I was. On the fourth day, I broke down. I couldn’t do it. I needed snacks.
Between my body’s tendency towards low blood sugar, and the energy required to to care for my young children (the same children who hinder me from eating a real meal at a reasonable time), I simply could not skip snacks and continue to function in my daily life. That year, I fasted four days out of forty.
Still, I would consider the experience a success. The failed fast did exactly what it was intended to do, and despite its early demise, I am glad I participated. As I prepare for Ash Wednesday and Lent this year, I have been reflecting on my last experience. What did I learn from failing last time? Why am I anxious to do it again?
Spiritual practices change our lives. They open our hearts. For many people, Lent is a season of intense spiritual growth and connection. And while I did not make it forty days, observing Lent still changed my life.
Here are five ways the practice of Lent changes us:
1. We are more intentional.
When we give up a daily convenience, our habits change. During Lent we cannot live on autopilot. We are forced to consider the things we typically do without thinking. It focuses our hearts, energy, and time. I believe this is why many people find Lent to be a spiritually intense season. Their daily rhythms become more focused.
2. We connect with one another.
The Christian faith is both intensely personal and deeply communal. For thousands of years, the Church throughout the world has come together to pray and fast during the Lenten season. When we join them, we connect with the rich historical context of Christian faith. Spiritual disciplines join us both to Christ and to one another.
3. We remember how much we need God.
In Lent, we are asked to follow Christ into the wilderness. To pray and fast, to unhinge our lives from the small comforts that rule our thoughts and dictate our time. The experience is most often a painful blessing. When we are most in need, we draw closer to God. When a little peanut butter and crackers took me down so swiftly, I was acutely aware of my need for God’s loving presence to sustain me.
4. We (quickly) see what rules us.
Before my fast, I had no idea how dependent I was on snacking. If you’d asked, I would have said I was making an easy sacrifice. Fasting shows us the comforts and conveniences that dictate our day. When we practice Lent, we quickly realize what motivates and rules us.
By the same token, we also become more aware of our strength. Self-control requires us to dig deep, to do the harder thing when we don’t feel like it. While the practice of self-denial reveals our weaknesses, it also reveals our strength of character.
5. We long for Easter.
Easter is the pinnacle of Christian faith, the day that gives meaning to all others. When we practice Lent, our hearts are trained on Easter. Practicing Lent brings a new depth and richness to Holy Week and Easter.
The last time I observed Lent, it was a disaster. Even so, I look forward to the blessing and challenge of this year’s Lenten season. But this year I won’t give up my snacks.
Photo by michael hilton (Flickr cc).
