Why We Should Still Consider Giving Something Up This Lent
I'm horrible at giving things up for Lent. Horrible! It's only in the past several years that I've even been consistent about not eating meat on Fridays. Not because I don't want to, but because I'm just horrible at remembering. It didn't matter that I had a solid, Catholic foundation or that I went to the Catholic University of America. Once I left home, it was like my brain lost its capacity for Lenten requirements. (But also, in case you didn't know, giving something up is not actually required by the Catholic Church.)
When I realized this about myself - that I wasn't disciplined enough to give something up - I started doing something extra instead. I would do a random act of kindness each day or I spent every Friday evening at Stations of the Cross. The extra activity had been working really well for me for years and brought me more fully into the Lenten season.
But then...COVID.
Suddenly, I couldn't focus on others because I couldn't see others. I couldn't go to Stations because the church was closed. And a year later, not much has changed. I will be nine months pregnant this Lent which, for me, means I'm still limiting my interactions with people. I'm not physically going to church, though I suppose a could find a virtual Stations of the Cross.
But the whole thing got me thinking: maybe it's time for me to try giving something up again.
My initial idea for this post was to come up with a list of things to give up in case any of you needed some inspiration. So I polled social media as one does, and an interesting answer came up. Someone answered my question with a question. "Haven't I given up enough this year?" It was meant to be sarcastic because the person in question then gave me their actual answer, but it got me thinking again.
We did give up a lot this year. We gave up our routines, our social interactions, vacations, holidays with families, some of us gave up our jobs.
But let me ask you this. When Jesus died for us on the cross, didn't He also give up all of those things? And didn't He, in addition, give up His life?
When put that way, it kind of makes giving up chocolate seem meaningless, does it?
For all those like me who still haven't quite gone back to normal interactions with society, Lent probably won't feel like Lent...again...for the second year in a row. And you may be hesitant to give something up because "haven't you given up enough this year?"
But that's the very reason I would encourage you to give something up this Lent. In giving up something as insignificant as an hour of social media time a day, our 2021 Lenten journey can be two-fold:
We can have some sense of normalcy. Giving something up for Lent is something we always do, and in spite of all the other things we gave up this year, we have control over this small thing.
We can use it as a reminder of all that God and Jesus gave up for us. This small sacrifice is nothing in comparison and can be used as an opportunity to thank them for their blessings during this pandemic.
For those of you that are still struggling with the idea of giving something up, I get it. As I said, it's generally a hard thing for me to do without the presence of a pandemic. In that case, I would encourage you to do something extra as a way to bolster your Lenten journey. Have you heard of the 40 Days - 40 Items Challenge? That could be an excellent way to give instead of give up.
Whatever you decide to do this Lent, I pray that we can be more focused this year. Let's not let ourselves be distracted by our circumstances. Let's be persistent in our relationship with God so we can remember all He has given up for us.
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