So I've been thinking about Lent, and what it means to me, and how I wanted to observe it this year. There are always the typical things to give up - chocolate, Diet Coke, swearing - but I felt like I really wouldn't be learning anything from a dietary or verbal deprivation (not that I don't need to be depriving myself of some food!).
Now this may seem like a digression, but bear with me. We get a lot of packages at our house. Ray loves to stay up late and shop eBay for deals on model helicopters, I love to get up early and surf for yarn or books, and our family loves to send the kids packages for every holiday or non-holiday. Last Monday Amelia had a major meltdown because Ray got a package and she didn't. This is the child who has every toy, book, stuffed animal imaginable. That's when I hit upon what to do about Lent. Our family needed to go on a buying fast. The plan is that we only buy items we truly need - food, gas, plants for the garden that we're planning - and we leave off the things that we want, whether they're for our own personal use or for the house.
For the record, I am the only one excited about this. Well, maybe Jack, too, because after all how many frivolous items can a 15-month need? Amelia has warmed up to it after I explained how much fun we can have making things out of the supplies we already have in the craft closet, playing with the toys she already has, etc. Ray's first response was, "Pentecostals don't do Lent." After some cajoling and some Fat Tuesday eBay activity, I think he's on board.
So, I'll report back in about 40 days and let you know how our time in the retail desert has gone.
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2 comments:
Good luck with that! No really - prayers for you.
I'm afraid we'll need them! And on another note, we didn't make it to Sam's, which makes me very sad. We had good intentions, but the flesh is weak or some such mixed metaphor. :-)
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