Shrove Tuesday and the much anticipated Lent

One of the downsides of having such a hard year last year, was that we were just trying to survive. There wasn't much time for looking outside of our own family and looking at the needs of others. We didn't have many 'large dinners' for major holidays (or perhaps we did...I literally cannot remember). We addressed many 'in your face' needs (eg. meals for new moms), but lacked in spontaneous giving. And we have noticed. We feel the desire rising up in our souls to give. Give more. Give because we can. Give because we want to. We have felt the desire to invite others over for dinner. To bring cookies to friends. To surprise people with some of the "desires of their hearts." To watch our friends kids, so couples can go out on a date. We feel like we are ready to look outside of our own family and look to the needs of others. Its such an empowering time.

So, today, on Shrove Tuesday/Pancake Tuesday/Lent-eve, we are inviting a few select people over for a pancake dinner. We are excited to start our 'giving' journey with a meal. But aside from this desire to be hospitable again, we are excited for Lent.

Last year for Lent, I decided to "give" every single day. Whether it was a card or a meal, cookies or a night out, I wanted to give. Except, I made it about 10 days before LIFE happened. Micah cut open his finger, stitches, antibiotics, no sleep. Giving, gave way for life. Luckily, there is grace. And I accepted that with two little boys, and an unexpected injury and no sleep, that giving every day for Lent was not meant to be.

But this year. Oh this year, I am excited! The boys are older. I'm amazed at what I can accomplish on little sleep. So this year, instead of giving something up, or even giving every day, we are doing 40 days of Lent activities. I will be gracious with myself, since LIFE happens. But the goal is to do an activity with the boys every weekday.  Instead of sacrificing something for Lent, we are adding to our lives.

The boys loved the Advent activities leading up to Christmas. I realized that the busyness of life got in the way during that time, yet candlelit dinners and reading books often made up for my laziness/tiredness/busyness. But I also know that Lent is much calmer time of year. There aren't many pressing "Easter" activities to clog up my schedule.

So, we will proceed. Forge ahead with activities. Things that will hopefully bring us closer as a family, and force us to look outside of ourselves and see the needs of others. My desire is for the boys to learn the Easter story, learn to pray for others, and have fun doing Easter crafts and activities.

I have set up the Passion week timeline on a wall in our house. I wanted a visual representation of the Easter story, so the boys could "see" what happened.  Since they cannot read yet, its hard to just write down the story. So there are words and pictures as a reminder to me and Dan about all the details of what happened.

We hung a large cross in the center. Our plan, and the activity that I am most excited about (and Joel too), is that we will pull a name out of a jar EVERY day until Easter (that's 47 names, since we included Sundays) and pray for that person/family or place. We will then write their name on a flower that I have cut out of construction paper and place it on the cross.  I am excited to see the cross "beautify" as time goes on.

 

I am excited to do some Easter/Lent related activities. Simple things, like colouring Easter pictures. To do crafts, like making palm branches. Going through the Easter story with the Resurrection eggs and adding to the chaos with follow-up activities. And to do more difficult things like making paska or baking and decorating cookies to give away to neighbours.

 

Lent and Easter is my favorite time of year. I love the anticipation of what is coming. The sorrow of Good Friday and the grace it brings. The joy of Easter morning and the empty tomb. I love that there is less chaos and consumerism around this time of year. I love that there are DAYS worth of celebration.  I love that this time of year is about Christ, and Christ alone.

 

So, today I look forward to tomorrow and the beginning of Lent. I look forward to 40 days of activities. To 47 days of praying for our family and friends. To six weeks of giving and grace.