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PB&J

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

The neatest thing happened to me this morning. After my post yesterday about giving up the snooze button, my alarm went off at 6:30 this morning and I started to get up. My alarm is set to KLOVE radio, and guess what is literally the FIRST thing I heard when that alarm went off?

Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, I have been set free
"Amazing Grace" is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King


Awesome, right? Because that's pretty much what Lent is about!

But, Lent, man, not for the weak of heart, right?

My church offered three masses today: 7:30 a.m., 8:50 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. I am already at work by 8:50 and I had a meeting with my professor after work about my upcoming exam, so 7:30 it was!

Here's the thing about wearing ashes around all day (and by "all day" I mean work, my lunch trip to WalMart, my meeting at Starbucks with my professor and a wine bar date with an old college friend I dearly missed) -- it's not that I don't want to talk about God, Lent, Jesus or all of it -- I do! But what I don't like is any sort of extra attention called to myself. I ALWAYS feel this way. Want to ask me about being Catholic? Ask me! But man, I am soooo uncomfortable with any sort of extra attention on myself. I always worry about a wedding (not to worry, no imminent danger!) because ALL THOSE PEOPLE are staring at you!!! I know that's weird for a dancer and someone who doesn't mind public speaking but man, I do not like unnecessary attention!

One great thing I realized today was how much fasting makes you appreciate the food you have. I'm not a champion faster... I subscribe more to the "don't eat more than one full meal" list of rules... but I do try to adhere to not eating more than one full meal on Ash Wednesday and offering up my hunger for the Lord. I had a cereal bar for breakfast (not a full meal I don't think) and for lunch, one peanut butter and jelly sandwich. (Not an Anna Lafferre lunch, I can say that.) But as I was eating my one sandwich, I realized how happy I was to have it and how great it tasted. I slowed down, I thought about what I was eating. With each bite I took, I realized how grateful I was for that simple food and how fulfilling it was. And I call that a Lenten success. I'm a humble sinner with so many faults, but I did look at my little sandwich today and think about how much I enjoyed the opportunity and ability I had to eat it. I savored every bite.


So I hope I'm on the right track.

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