Devotional 3-20-10

Choices
Lectionary Reading: Phillippians 3:7-14

“What are you giving up for Lent?” a friend asked me a few years ago. I was stumped. I had not thought of giving up anything for Lent (and why would I do that anyway?)Then while reading a few articles about sacrificing a little to represent the greatest sacrifice that Jesus gave I began to understand why it was done.

So what was I going to give up for Lent? People have given up sweets or pizza, movies or tv, video games or the computer. All of those seemed a little self-centered to me. It also seemed to me to be the opposite of what Jesus has told us to do while he was living. He said feed to poor, make disciples, care for the sick, etc. An article in the latest Guidepost magazine talks about five things to take up rather than give up this Lenten season. The author says “Lent doesn’t always mean forbidding ourselves some pleasure. It can be an opportunity to seek the pleasure of God’s presence.”

Although the author says things like get outdoors, spend time with others, and pray for the little things, I decided that I could do something a little different. I wanted to do something positive, something for which I am thankful. So each day of Lent I sent a thank you note to someone who had touched my life in some way. I thought of people who had done something for me or someone who has done things for others without being thanked. The teacher who befriended me when I was a new teacher at my first school got one. The lady in one of the churches where my father was the pastor who called me up every time she made beans and cornbread received a note. The choir director who let me continue to be in the choir even though my voice is not the greatest. I found that I had more people to thank than the forty days of Lent. It was an eye opening experience to think of the people throughout my life who did little (and BIG) things for me that led me to where I am today.

Our biblical study at School of Christian Mission last year was Food and Faith taught by Rev. Richard Work. The study itself was about how faith is nurtured, strengthened, and enhanced by food. It explored the ways food creates community, offers hospitality to strangers and expands one’s concept of “neighbor.” But, again, Rev. Work stressed positive works that can be done during Lent rather than giving something up – do something for the good.

This has been a wonderful exercise for me to do. I never seem run out of people to thank. God has been with me as I write the hard ones – the ones that ask for forgiveness - and the ones that thanked people for things they have done without being asked (even if they are not my favorite person). The blessings I have received when those that I thanked come to me later to thank me for remembering them.

I challenge you to think of something you can do this Lenten Season. Do something for yourself that will bless you throughout the whole year.

Prayer:

Lord, you are so wonderful to me and I cannot thank you enough for giving me this life that I am living. Guide me to do Your will and show me the way that You want me to follow. May my practices during Lent help make me a new person in You. I praise your name and give you the glory. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Ruth Ellen Fise