What to Give Up for Lent

Today is the first day of Lent. I have never been inclined to make huge adjustments in my life because of Lent although I can see advantages to doing something different to remind myself of the sacrifice made for me at Easter. As I pondered how to move forward during this Lenten season, I was reminded of something my daughter Erin did to honor Lent. She was about seven years old. As I was putting her to bed one night, we were having our good night chat. I commented to her that I had noticed that her school papers which had previously been rather sloppily done had recently become very neat. Wonderfully neat. I asked her what had inspired this change. She confided in me that she had given up being sloppy for Lent. This amazed me since we had never made giving up something for Lent a tradition in our home. Happily the habit of neatness that she formed during that Lenten season remained a part of her throughout the rest of her school life and into her adult life. Perhaps I will follow her example and practice a habit that would make me a brighter light to the world during this Lenten season.

Belated Valentine Trip Down Memory Lane

While I was cleaning out a closet, I came across the heart-shaped box in this picture. It has survived for fifty years in one closet or another. I come from a sentimental heritage. When I was around ten years old, I saw this box in the local drugstore window. I thought it was the prettiest box of chocolates I had ever seen. I went home and collected the money in my bank and went back to purchase it as a Valentine gift for my mother and daddy. When I got to the drugstore and counted my money out to the pharmacist, I was about fifteen cents short. (If I remember correctly the box cost $3.85. That is a story in itself.) Seeing my disappointment, the pharmacist told me I could just owe him the fifteen cents. He put the candy in a sack, and I headed for the bus stop. Proudly I presented the candy to my parents. Then I told them that the nice man had let me have it even though I was fifteen cents short. After each of us enjoyed one piece of candy, Mother and I returned to the drugstore and paid the pharmacist the fifteen cents we owed him. Debt was not something my family accepted. The blue lacey box has survived the years and so has my reluctance to leave debts unpaid.

Liver and Onions

I am reading through the Bible in one year. Right now I am in Leviticus which is described on One Year Bible Blog as the "liver and onions" of the Bible--liver and onions is good for you but most people don't like it. Thus the description seemed appropriate to me. I am trying to figure out what parts of Leviticus are "good for me." Leviticus is difficult for me to read and even more difficult to find applications for my daily life. It sometimes bothers me that although I try to live a life in keeping with biblical principles, I totally ignore most of the rules in Leviticus. I think most Christians ignore the rules in Leviticus. I wonder when it became acceptable to eat barbeque pork sandwiches and to touch dead animals without going through an unclean period until sundown. I will get through Leviticus and trust that someday I will understand the parts that are "dim" to me now.

Baa Baa Do Baa Baa

Jack, my three year old grandson, is a huge fan of Colin Buchanan, an Australian Christian singer. One of the songs on Jack's CD goes, "We all like sheep have gone astray, baa, baa, do, baa baa." This morning as I was reading my Bible selection for the day, Exodus 39-40 I was reminded that this going astray is not a new thing. The people of Israel had just finished going astray while Moses was up on the mountain. In today's chapters they had turned over a new leaf, and they were doing things "as God commanded." I was amazed at how many times this phrase was repeated. As I read, I was not particularly interested in the ark or the priestly garments, but I was struck by the fact that I need to do things "as God commanded." Because "I like sheep have gone astray, Baa baa do baa baa!"

Unnecessary Beauty

I am reading Vision for God by Brand and Jost. It is a wonderful read---the story of Dr. Margaret Brand who spent many years as a medical missionary to the people of India. During her years as a missionary she raised four children---a challenging job in any country but perhaps more so in India in the midtwentieth century. Yesterday,in the book her son Christopher said, "Didn't God make that sunset unnecessarily beautiful?" That question really stuck with me. As I drive home many evenings and see the glorious western sky I ruminate on the beauty that God has provided. Could we live without beauty around us? I guess we could, but isn't God wonderful to provide us with beauty that takes our breath away in the midst of a world where humans don't always live lives worthy of all that beauty. Thank you, Lord, for the unnecessary beauty you have provided me.

Grandmother Bunts

Yesterday I played baseball with my four year old grandson Josiah. He has a unique approach to the game that I was not aware of. He decided that I was the batter and he was the pitcher. The first pitch went behind me so I let it go---good eye grandmother. The second pitch was hitable so I hit it---as hard as I could like I was taught to do. It went pretty far. Before I could revel in the joy of my hit, Josiah yelled, "Now you drop the bat and chase the ball. Hurry, Grandmother, that's how it's played." I followed his directions making a mental note that from now on, I would bunt if I was going to be the one who had to chase it. Later Natalie, Josiah's mother, confessed to me that she is the person who taught him these rather unusual rules because she didn't want to chase all the balls that Josiah hit. At some point I hope he learns the real rules, but until then, I remain the bunting grandmother.