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Easter: More Than Just An End To Lent
- by Marisa
- April 4, 2010
This Easter is so very different than the last one. This year, despite anything happening in the background, the foreground is quite clear: I have been blessed.
I made it through Lent without even a sip of coffee. In fact, I had no caffeine at all. So this morning, as I sipped some regular coffee, then some Kona and now my Sumatra (yes, this is the third pot but there are several coffee drinkers here) I contemplated the whole sacrifice thing. I thought about why I stopped drinking coffee and how I behaved throughout the season.
I wanted to “give up” something that really mattered. I guess I intended to feel the pain of the sacrifice and I knew that going without coffee would be painful. Every time I craved coffee (in other words, at least once a day and usually more often) I was reminded of the sacrifice that Christ made for me. Every time I smelled that coffee aroma in the grocery store or, even worse, in the kitchen in the morning, I remembered that the pain is nothing compared to the nails that were pounded through Christ’s hands.
Each and every day of my life, I fail at something. I fail to live up to the standard of the Golden Rule. I fail to hold my tongue, give of myself, show kindness to others. Despite these failures I am blessed in so many ways. I sometimes dwell on the negatives that surround me but in the end the blessings are so much more abundant. My Lenten sacrifice helped me to realize this.
Every time I desired coffee I had to focus on something else that was good. Having given up cigarettes several years ago and currently on a weight loss program, finding a good focus was a little tough in the beginning. Once I got into the habit of being grateful for the good things and being truly aware of them, it became much easier.
And that’s the point. I gave up coffee for Lent but I received such an amazing gift in return. All the good things around me are bigger and louder than any of the bad things.
I have been blessed.
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Giving up something for lent only makes you stronger mentally and obviously if it is something that is bad for your health you will also gain health benefits too.
I am glad your Lentin sacrifice realized you to stay away from negatives and make mentally & spiritually strong.
That’s a really beautiful way of looking at lent. I’ve struggled with trying to give up something that’s important to me in the past, but I’ve never tried to put it in perspective like that. It’s too late to do lent over now but I’ll try to apply this kind of thinking next time I try to give up on of my vices (candy and chocolate, so good and yet so bad for you!).