Nearing the Season of Lent

We are in the time of Mardi Gras...I know very little about this big party and what I do know should not be placed in this blog. I just know that the thought of Fat Tuesday always makes smile, as we come to terms with ourselves prior to entering a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Well, it is much more than those three things but you know what I am talking about. In a few days we will have another opportunity to enter into the season of Lent as we meet Ash Wednesday. Today I have been taking some time to consider what this means for me this year. The question I am asking is, "How can I allow my life to be penetrated by this liturgical season?" I do not yet have an answer to the question and that's okay. I guess things will roll out the way they need to. Part of the problem is there are just too many options for a Lenten practice. Finding balance is the only way to work this through. My tendency  is to work with things that have a practical component. I used to think that people who practiced Lent were insane giving up things for forty days (of course this was my pre-baptism days). Now I look at it differently as I reflect on areas that are in need of changes that can continue beyond the forty days. I like this better because it does not have the New Years Resolution quality (always a set-up for my failure). Somehow if I connect my adjustments to faith and others in the world it holds me up to a standard beyond myself. And, this lets me find greater success in the long run. My guess is this is true for all of us. So, however my life is penetrated in the coming weeks I pray for the strength to deal with the temptations to turn back and that I am aware that we walk this journey together for support and love.