Lenten Discipline

Well, its Ash Wednesday. Happy Ash Wednesday just doesn't seem right so, may you draw closer to God throughout this Lenten Season.

Ever since college when I first learned about Ash Wednesday and Lent, they have been incredibly meaningful for me. The discipline and self denial of Lent really have made the joy of Easter all the more full.

Today at our Ash Wednesday service, I really liked how my pastor talked about Lent. He talked about how when we are tempted to reach for that thing that we give up for Lent we can use it as an opportunity to stop and think about how we see Christ alive in that situation. He then said something along the lines of how later when we are having trouble giving up that "thing," whatever it is, we can remember that Lenten discipline.

That really makes sense. When we practice something over a period of time, it becomes easier later. When we practice self denial during Lent with something "small," it becomes easier later when we really do have to give something to God.

From dust you were created... to dust you will return.
May God draw us all closer to himself while we learn the Lenten discipline of self denial.