Lent Isn’t Always About Loss

Christians all over the world are celebrating Ash Wednesday today (March 6) which marks the beginning of the Lenten season. Even non-Christians have an idea what Lent means. It is a season of sacrifice and suffering, a season for “giving up” something.

As a child, I was encouraged to give up something I liked. Suggestions were chocolate, sweet candies, soda or even a favorite television show. I did my best to choose things that would be a real sacrifice. One year for Lent, I decided to give up peanut butter. To most people, this might not mean much. For me, it meant a lot.

No Peanut Butter?

For our school lunches, we were allowed a sandwich and an apple. The sandwich could be either peanut butter or jelly, but not both. Because my parents were poor, I suspect this was a step toward frugality for them. However, I did not like jelly sandwiches. By the time lunch came around they were soggy. That year, I had jelly sandwiches in my lunch during Lent. It was a long forty days.

In current society, I wonder what it might be like if many people gave up phones, computers, games or social media. When I was a child, we didn’t have these things to offer up as a sacrifice for Lent. Perhaps I could have chosen to give up using a landline phone, but there was no reason for me to need one at that time. Today, however, I wonder if I could go a week without needing my phone much less forty days.

People put a lot of focus on “loss” during Lent. Giving up something is losing it. Loss and losing carry negative connotations. It feels dark and cold. Lent is about sacrifice and suffering, about giving up luxuries and pleasures. But, maybe it can be viewed more positively.

Lent Can Be Positive

There are many other suggestions for things to do during the Lenten season that do not require loss. One that I strongly favor is giving up complaining and negative talk. How many of us pay close attention to our thoughts and words? Can you get through an entire day without grumbling about something? Is your life cluttered with idle gossip and judgments about others?

Another suggestion for Lenten sacrifice is to get rid of the extra stuff we have collected over time. Each day of Lent, fill a small garbage bag with things to donate, give away or throw away. Can you imagine how much less you will trip over if it isn’t in the house?

Even non-Catholics can gain something by observing the season of Lent. They say that it takes at least a month to forge a new habit. The forty days in the season of Lent is plenty of time for a change in our lives. Quit smoking. Start a new eating plan. Take a short walk every day.

Are you observing this Lenten season? What sacrifices have you chosen to make? Tell us about it or offer more suggestions!