I forgot to wish everyone a Happy Ash Wednesday last week, but now we're firmly in the Lenten season (although the local country radio station held a belated Mardi Gras celebration on this past Saturday night, which was amusing to me).
Anyway, for various reasons this year I want to try a non-food Lenten "fast." Part of the goal of giving something up is to make room for God in our lives, to pick something that will call to remembrance Jesus throughout the day.
I decided that I would fast from critical thoughts. I only decided this after coming to terms with the fact that it's okay to pick a Lenten vow that I'm going to mess up on. I mean, if I gave up chocolate, it is so cut and dry. It is hard, but the possibility of success is real. Banning a certain type of thoughts for six weeks, especially in a "realist" like myself, is equivalent to setting myself up for failure. What overcame my reluctance was a friend who gently reminded me that having to rely on the Lord to withstand whatever temptation, and on His grace when I fail, is really a good place to be during Lent. She also suggested chanting "cancel" in my mind after inopportune thoughts. :)
Anyway it has been interesting so far, because immediately on the first day I was confronted with issues like "is disliking a house's architecture having a critical thought?" and "does this ban only apply to thoughts about other people, or does it extend to my interior dialogue about myself?"
Anyone feel like chiming in on the comments with what you're doing for Lent?
