Lent: The Never ending Season of Sacrifice

Mark 1:13
And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.

In full disclosure-Covid has made me LAZY! The extrovert in me has been tamed. I am perfectly content in my home with minimal contact from the outside world. I’ve finished books, Netflix and have no idea when my kids go to school or learn virtually. My loungewear game is on point and so are my eyebrows as they are the only part of my face being seen in the last year due to the never ending need to mask up.

I have become a professional shopper from my couch. I can and have ordered anything and everything my heart desires and it shows up at my door. No muss and no fuss! From groceries to Gucci-I click add to cart and here it comes! I have become addicted to packages arriving at my doorstep daily and my greatest pleasures include listening for the doorbell and delightedly opening my next package. I live for it! Did you hear that reader….I live for it!

I have also found my tribe of friends who live for it too. We talk about what we want to order, show pictures and ohhhhhh and ahhhhhh over the next blazer, shoes, trench coat, dress….pick something. We are there for it. These are my people.

Fortunately, these same people are my Jesus loving, dying to self, up for a challenge tribe and we collectively decided (some more eager than others) to give up online shopping for Lent. We can purchase in person-but honestly-where’s the fun in that????? In preparation I ordered A LOT! I need that slow drip fix of packages showing up to my door because I didn’t want to just go “cold turkey.” Ash Wednesday, February 17 was “D” Day. Our commitment to honor the sacrifice that Jesus made for us leading up to his death and resurrection. I had a few packages delivered that week from purchases I had made prior to Ash Wednesday. My family kept saying “but you gave that up for Lent” and I would proudly exclaim “these were ordered before Lent.” I felt my first real defeat when I got a notice that I was receiving a refund because one of my packages was “lost” in the mail. “Was that you Jesus????” Then I went into a period of legalism. Look at my! My sacrifice! Wow…I’m a star! Then sadness….what I wouldn’t give to click ” add to cart.” I watch out the window as the FedEx guy drives past my house…Amazon…same thing. My mail carrier only deposits mail…no boxes of goodies eagerly waiting tot be torn open and admired by yours truly.

I’m in the home stretch. Have I learned anything? I’ve learned that I can do it. I haven’t cheated. I have learned to think about the sacrifice that Jesus made for me. I think about that a lot. My internet browsing has changed. Instead of being on the computer at night scouring sites and looking for things I really don’t need I’m reading more, engaging more with my family, praying more, listening to God more. I’m practicing the art of being still. I think I’ve grown as a person through this. You might be reading this an thinking it’s a dumb addiction or what an easy thing to give up for Lent but it hasn’t been easy. It’s been hard. But Jesus dying on the cross and sacrificing himself for humanity was harder. I can do this! Easter is coming and we will be singing Christ is Risen….He is risen indeed.

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