Lent

I wasn't in Ontario for Ash Wednesday (my favourite day of the Christian year) and it totally through me off. I just never got around to deciding on something to give up or a discipline to acquire. So it was really quite exciting to hear that a friend had found something a bit original to give up for Lent. On one level, it's really quite funny. She gave up dieting for Lent. Just thinking about it gives me the giggles. But on a deeper level, it really is brilliant. It's saying I'm not going to beat myself up during Lent and send all those negative hurtful messages to someone loved and valued by Jesus Christ. All those marketing images of how we should be, don't hold a candle to the image God had of us during the creation process. During Lent we really should practice valuing ourselves enough to be strengthened for the work that we were created to do.