Lent 2013

The Lenten season is upon us!! Lent is a 46 day period (40 not including Sundays) between Ash Wednesday and Easter which serves as a time for penitence and self-examination for all Christians. During this time, people choose things that they will give up having or doing as a sacrifice like chocolate, fast food, sweets, television, secular music, social media networks, etc.  This time is usually a time that brings Christians closer to God as they spend time in prayer and mediation. The 40 days of Lent are meant to be symbolic of the 40 days that Christ spent in the wilderness being tempted by Satan.

I have been participating in Lent since I was a teenager. It wasn't until 2009 that the Lenten period really changed my life and held a deeper meaning for me. During that time, I had gone through a period of brokenness.  I remember right before Lent started, my best friend asked me if I wanted to pray about it with her and I shot her a mean side eye along with a serious decline! I did not want to pray about anything. I didn't want to think about God and definitely didn't want to talk to him!

After pulling myself together, I realized that Lent was coming up and I hadn't chosen anything to sacrifice.  My mind was drawing a blank and I couldn't think of anything that would actually be meaningful.  It then dawned on me that I didn't have to "give up" something per se, but I could do something that would make me better.  I examined myself and realized that my prayer life was pretty much nonexistent other than when I would pray over food (which wasn't always a guarantee either).  I decided that for the Lenten season, I would pray twice/day to God to help me get through the brokenness. I guess my best friend prayed for me anyway that night, because praying two times every day weighed in on my heart even though I was totally opposed to prayer just days before.

At the end of those 40 days, I could tell there was a difference in me. I considered this time to be the when I really found Jesus in my heart. This was the beginning of the best relationship I've ever had....a real relationship with Jesus.  The relationship has grown stronger and stronger as the years have gone on, but that was the beginning of it all.  I had professed that I knew God and loved him prior to that date, but it wasn't genuine. It was kind of one of those things where you say you're a believer because you're afraid people would judge you for not being a believer. Funny how things work out, huh? I wouldn't say I wasn't a believer before, but I definitely had God on the back burner of my life and hit him up when it was convenient for me. Praying occurred only when I needed something or when I was in trouble. Prayers of thanksgiving were foreign, and I wouldn't dare go to church and show any form of praise if it meant other people would look at me funny.  Going to church was also something that was a chore and I often times found myself finding an excuse not to go especially if I had spent the night before partying and was too tired to get up and go. Years ago, this blog wouldn't have existed because I wouldn't have felt the need to share my testimony with anyone. Thanking God would have only occurred when something huge happened, but then again, I'd probably find some way to say it was all because of some human being and how they looked out for me, instead of God looking out for me.

My story still amazes me every time I think about it. I think about how far I've come and where I'm going. I think about how much my life has changed for the better now and how I'm so thankful that God stepped in and saved me even when I had no idea what was happening. Sometimes a period of brokenness is necessary to break you down to nothing so that God can get your attention to show you just how much you really do need him! Even when you don't understand it or think God is punishing you and is being unfair, it always works out for your good. The good times, the bad times, the times of uncertainty, all of these things build your testimony.

This year for Lent, I wanted to pass on some information that a friend of mine shared with me.  This came just in time and I felt like it was a wonderful tool to really learn about Lent and really draw closer to God! Even though Lent started yesterday, you can still get in on this and be richly blessed at the end of the 40 day period! Here is the link: Lent Guide 2013.  If you have a hard time with it, please let me know and I'll try to figure out another way to get it to you! The guide is from my friend's church! At the end of each week, I plan to update you guys on how my journey is going! Stay tuned!