We are in the season of Lent. It is, as my SD put it, a season of joy, of turning back and reconnecting with Jesus by going into the desert of peace and quiet.
As I write this I am physically exhausted and fluey. I realise I have not truly sat back and reflected in stillness for a while now. There are always things to do, places to go, and even though I do set aside time for prayer and daily mass, I have not set aside me time to just burn and laze the day away. I haven't even had time to blog properly which is one of the ways I reflect and come into the presence of the Lord. Lent reminds me appropriately to slow down and wander into the quiet of the desert, praying and fasting.
Last week when my SD told me that Lent is a time to unload what is too much of myself and too much of life around me, I laughed, for I have already begun the process of whittling away the too much of myself, especially since the beginning of this year. Marriage kind of does that to you, for in order to make it work, it has to be less of me and more of we.
And when life gets too overwhelming, let go of what's not necessary and focus on the essentials. The little, niggly things do not matter in the long run, so live and let live. P and I are in it for the long haul and we both want the same thing, that is to grow old together gracefully, harmoniously and joyfully. Thus the process of refinement is constant.
Of course some of it is easy, it is just a question of forming new habits of 'cleaving' (human beings are very resilient after all, and it's whether we want to change or not, plus the pain of change does dissipate after a while)), whereas other bits, which involve the ego or the quirks in his and my personality may not be so easy, but are not insurmountable. That is where we are called to listen to each other carefully, to hear the spoken and unspoken words in each other's heart.
I therefore welcome the season of Lent, a season of renewal, and a good reminder to unload and reload. Just as we need to give our closets and homes the occasional spring cleaning, we need to junk the bad habits, unhelpful idiosyncrasies and unhealthy dysfunctions of our inner beings to become the people we were created to be: good, trusting and happy individuals who live life to the fullest, glorifying God wherever we go by bringing happiness and light to the world.
What do I want this Lent? I really want to be like Jesus. I want to have His peace of mind, his compassionate nature and wisdom even in the face of dissonance, chaos, suffering and pain. I want to be a pleasure, first to myself and God, then to loved ones, and all I meet.
I hope to fast from too much non-essential activity and from complaining (even as I maintain the discipline of two actual fast days a week); add a period of silence during my prayer time to hear His voice and just soak in His presence; and give alms by being a cheerful giver, giving help wherever it is needed. I have also initiated praying for those who persecute me and people I don't much like, which is a personal challenge. If it pleases Him, then let me unload the extraneous and irrelevant, and reload the edifying and holy this Lenten season.
As I write this I am physically exhausted and fluey. I realise I have not truly sat back and reflected in stillness for a while now. There are always things to do, places to go, and even though I do set aside time for prayer and daily mass, I have not set aside me time to just burn and laze the day away. I haven't even had time to blog properly which is one of the ways I reflect and come into the presence of the Lord. Lent reminds me appropriately to slow down and wander into the quiet of the desert, praying and fasting.
Last week when my SD told me that Lent is a time to unload what is too much of myself and too much of life around me, I laughed, for I have already begun the process of whittling away the too much of myself, especially since the beginning of this year. Marriage kind of does that to you, for in order to make it work, it has to be less of me and more of we.
And when life gets too overwhelming, let go of what's not necessary and focus on the essentials. The little, niggly things do not matter in the long run, so live and let live. P and I are in it for the long haul and we both want the same thing, that is to grow old together gracefully, harmoniously and joyfully. Thus the process of refinement is constant.
Of course some of it is easy, it is just a question of forming new habits of 'cleaving' (human beings are very resilient after all, and it's whether we want to change or not, plus the pain of change does dissipate after a while)), whereas other bits, which involve the ego or the quirks in his and my personality may not be so easy, but are not insurmountable. That is where we are called to listen to each other carefully, to hear the spoken and unspoken words in each other's heart.
I therefore welcome the season of Lent, a season of renewal, and a good reminder to unload and reload. Just as we need to give our closets and homes the occasional spring cleaning, we need to junk the bad habits, unhelpful idiosyncrasies and unhealthy dysfunctions of our inner beings to become the people we were created to be: good, trusting and happy individuals who live life to the fullest, glorifying God wherever we go by bringing happiness and light to the world.
What do I want this Lent? I really want to be like Jesus. I want to have His peace of mind, his compassionate nature and wisdom even in the face of dissonance, chaos, suffering and pain. I want to be a pleasure, first to myself and God, then to loved ones, and all I meet.
I hope to fast from too much non-essential activity and from complaining (even as I maintain the discipline of two actual fast days a week); add a period of silence during my prayer time to hear His voice and just soak in His presence; and give alms by being a cheerful giver, giving help wherever it is needed. I have also initiated praying for those who persecute me and people I don't much like, which is a personal challenge. If it pleases Him, then let me unload the extraneous and irrelevant, and reload the edifying and holy this Lenten season.
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