Lent & Love
Hello Friends!
Here we are in February and it’s truly the season of love! The Bussey Crew survived an entire January of sickness, and I am praising God that there may finally be a light at the end of the tunnel. I try not to rush through each season as there is beauty in all of what God ordains. However, I am hopeful about the end of cold and flu season and look forward to getting back into the garden this Spring. In February, our hearts are all a flutter for Valentine’s Day. This Valentine’s Day is unique in that it is also the first day of Lent! I read that the last time this happened was in 2018. It seems to happen a couple of times throughout every century. It is truly amazing that on Love Day, we get to start a dedicated time of preparing our hearts and minds for Holy Week…a celebration of the One who shared the greatest love of all with each of us.
For many Christians, Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and growing in their faith. While this season is most often associated with Catholicism, I’ve known plenty of Christians from different denominations who do observe the Lenten season in a number of different ways. There are some amazing benefits to taking this time to be intentional about reconnecting with Christ. During this time, many people decide to to give something up or take on a new commitment It can be very refreshing to step away from something that may have a hold on you. It can also be a good time to commit to a healthier habit. Doing this reminds us that God is the only one who should have a hold on our hearts. It also increases our dependence on Him to break ALL chains in our lives and help us forge ahead with better living. Limiting distractions during this time also helps us to refocus on the things that are most important like our faith, family and service. It was during a Lenten season a couple of years ago that I committed to reading a chapter of my Bible every single day for the entire season. I had had a difficult time being consistent with my reading in the throes of motherhood. Interestingly, the forty days of Lent are just the right amount of time to establish a true habit in your life. Now, I can’t go a day without reading a chapter and journaling/ praying about it. I cant tell you how this simple habit has totally changed my faith walk. How I’ve grown in my love for the Lord! You never know how observing Lent could affect your own life!
All throughout the Bible we have examples of individuals who step back for a moment to have a targeted time of prayer and meditation. Jesus was known to fast and pray often, and there are several scriptures that encourage a time of spiritual recharge.
“ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.” ~1 Peter 5:6
“So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes” ~Daniel 9:3
“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?” ~Psalm 42:1-2
“Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.” ~ Psalm 25;5
“The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” ~Lamentations 3:25-26
“But you must return to your God; maintain love and justice, and wait for your God always.” ~ Hosea 12:6
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” ~ Matthew 6:33
If you are thinking of how you might observe Lent, I am happy to share with you a few of my own plans for this year. I do this with the hope that maybe one or more of my ideas could be a springboard for you as you contemplate your own Lenten season.
I’m stepping away from social media for the season. You all know how conflicted I feel about social media. It seems to be a source of such trickiness these days. I do believe it can be a useful tool though, and that’s all I wish to see it as. Apart from sharing this post with you all, DM and updating my business pages I’m blocking it from my phone so that I don’t find myself mindlessly scrolling. You all can reach out to me via text, call, DM, snail mail, etc anytime. Engaging in real life is much better for our spirits anyway!
I’m also limiting my exposure to the news…local, national and international. I’ve developed a strange habit of checking the news multiple times a day. I’m signing up for town alerts so that I know if anything urgent is happening within my community, and I’m stepping away from breaking national news. I figure that if an event is important enough, I’ll find out about it eventually. I’m really doing this to protect my mental health…to not find myself in a constant state of worry or anxiety about things I cant control. I am very sensitive (but don’t tell my kids ;D). Instead, I’d love to use this time to pray for our fallen world as a whole.
Prayer! Mr. B and I are committing to praying with each other every day. Sometimes at night, other times before he leaves for work. Maybe in the morning. We’ll have to be flexible, but the key is that it doesn’t have to be the perfect time…it just needs to be happening. We’ll also be doing a nightly Lent devotional with the children every day! It should be a good time of fellowship and discussion for us all as we consider Jesus Christ’s great acts of love.
Lastly, I’m committing to consistently doing basic things to take better care of myself. Making sure I’m getting my water in, taking time to get ready for my day, physically preparing myself for labor and delivery later this Spring. It will be the perfect time to do all of that!
Those are just some ideas from my own life! Take some time today to think about if you’d like to observe Lent. It’s a good time to reevaluate your life from a mental, emotional, social, physical and most importantly spiritual perspective. You may be surprised at how your life might be forever impacted by this time. Keep it simple, give yourself grace and commit your plans to the Lord.
Happy Love Day & Have a Blessed Lent!
