Sweet Tea, Lent and Daffodils

I grew up in (and still go to) a Church of Christ, so to me "lent" was just something you cleaned off the air filter in the dryer. Around age 21, I came to the untraditional church of Christ belief that Christmas was just as good a time as any to celebrate Christ's birth. In fact, I decided to celebrate the fact that so many in the world cared enough about Christ to want to celebrate his birth.I still love the whole Santa HO HO HO thing, but Christ is a part of my Christmas.

After putting Christ in Christmas I guess the next step in the natural progression was to put the East back in Easter??? :) Just a few years ago I decided my Easter had to be about more than Chocolate bunnies and egg hunts. This year for the first time I decided to celebrate, or at least participate in, the season of Lent. (Not at all to be confused with the season of "lint" which involved a bird making a nest in our dryer vent last fall another blog.)

My husband grew up Catholic, so he has helped me with this a little. I have gone online and studied Lent. I have tried to fast (although I forgot and ate meat one Friday) and for the first time ever, I gave something up for Lent. AND Lent, as it turns out, is a long time! Ash Wednesday to Good Friday, or February 9th to March 25th this year. I gave up sweet tea, well actually all forms of tea.

This has been a bigger challenge than I thought. Over the past year I have developed an ice tea habit. Everyday, or almost everyday, sometimes even twice a day, I pull through Bush's on Hewitt Drive for a large, 50cent, 32oz., ice tea. Sweet, unsweet half-n-half or Nutra-sweetened, I love ice tea!!! There are very few, if any days that I do not go down Hewitt Drive past Bush's Tea... I mean Bush's Chicken. That sweet tea has been calling to me! But I needed to cut back on caffeine and I wanted my first Lent to mean something. Any guesses as to what I will bring to Easter Dinner this year?:)

I'm not sure exactly what you are supposed to do when you give something up for Lent, but everytime I think about tea, I try to say a little prayer asking Jesus to fill me instead and renew my love and zeal for his body. Today I was in the worst mood because circumstances beyond my control kept me from eating lunch with some good friends. Just as I hung up the phone from canceling, I passed Bush's. I said my "instead of tea prayer" and my mood was 100 times better, my heart lighter and my outlook rosier. Funny how even the smallest sacrifices are rewarded when your heart is right! Is this what Lent is supposed to do?

I am not saying that I think the Church of Christ has been wrong not to observe Lent. I'm not saying that every Christian must observe Lent. But for me, it has been a good thing. Any others out there experiencing Lent for the first time?
These are not my daffodils, just illustrations to the story!
On a totally separate note I just spent $10 on a dozen little daffodils for the front yard! Each year I add a few more plants so eventually the front beds will be covered. I love the cheery greeting these flowers give as I pull in our drive! YEAH! I love SPRING ~ new starts, new flowers, new growth!

Spring fever has hit!!