Ash Wednesday 2014

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent, the day that many people give something up for six weeks. The idea of giving something up is very similar to making New Year's resolutions, something like quitting smoking or giving up chocolate or alcohol. These Lenten "resolutions" last maybe two or three weeks and when people mess up, a typical response is something like, "I'm going to go to hell for having a glass of wine."

As I mentioned in my New Year's resolutions post, giving something up is hard for people to do. It's like a punishment and a continual punishment gets some type of rebellion, like saying, "Screw it. I like having a glass of wine with dinner so I'm done denying myself."

Adding things to one's life is easier...things like writing a letter or calling a friend, looking in on a elderly parent, taking a friend to the doctor for an appointment, smiling at a stranger, thanking someone for excellent service. It's those little gestures that mean a lot, take very little effort, but bring tremendous satisfaction for the receiver as well as the giver.  

So that is what I plan to do for Lent. And I want these actions to last longer than six weeks.

Blessings to you ~ 

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