We welcome glad Easter

The snow fell softly in the night. We didn't even know it was happening. Imagine our surprise Saturday morning when Britt looked out the window, expecting to find no evidence of the predicted flurries, only to find our little slice of the world covered in white wonderment. I felt a twinge of sadness for the frozen, blossoming trees, but I delighted in their snow-covered beauty nonetheless. I had already put our winter hats and gloves away, never expecting to see snow only five days after an eighty-degree afternoon. We bundled up and went out to enjoy our (probably) last snow for a long time. Ava and I were feeling poorly, so the novelty of snow wore thin pretty quickly, and we went back inside. The snow melted (well, all but the few chunks of snowman that held together, juxtaposed with the bright green grass it lay atop), and we welcomed a cool but otherwise spring-like Easter day.

My family didn't observe Lent. (Or Advent, or anything else related to the liturgical church calendar, for that matter.) The church that finally did nurture us spiritually observed these traditions, but it was just a taste for us, as we knew nothing about them. We stopped short of actually giving anything up during Lent. I think I have always been a bit put off by the idea that one can be blessed spiritually by giving up chocolate or fried foods to help you remember Christ's suffering. I sort of like the idea of adding a spiritual discipline to your life during the lenten season, which is apparently another way to observe Lent, rather than giving up something mundane. (Though, I realize that for many people these "mundane" things are big temptations or whatnot, so it can be a source of insight...anyway.) So this year, as I was talking through my feelings on all of this, I hit upon something that could split the middle for me--worry.

I worry far too much. So I decided the thing that would benefit me most to give up wasn't TV or carbs or meat but worry. Several people expressed disapproval of this "counting" as a lenten promise, as you can't promise not to worry. True. But I can commit to realizing when I am doing it and how often it happens and attempt to curtail it with prayer and faith and trust in God. Spritual things. All of this would amount to spiritual growth, even if it didn't make me feel as deprived as those chocoholics who gave up chocolate. But for now I just don't think giving up TV would make me suffer in a way that would really make me feel Christ's suffering anyway. How can any of us know that? Maybe I just don't get it yet. And that's fine. I'm learning as I go. That's the whole point. Just making an attempt at something for the purpose of experiencing Lent had an impact (beyond just remembering that Christ died for us), even if it wasn't a traditional choice in the observance of Lent. And maybe next lenten season, worry won't be worth giving up because I won't be relying on it so much.