I have something to confess. When it comes to Lent, I rarely give something up. And, when I do, I don’t stick with it. So there. Now you know. I’ve been weak and wimpy during the Lenten season. But I found my halo crumpled in a cardboard box, dusted it off and I’m going to pick ONE THING to give up for 40 days this year. Hopefully that little devil inside will let my inner angel have its way, but I’m not making any promises.
I’m pregnant, so I already gave a bunch of stuff up, like drinking wine and eating sushi. I have two young kids at home so I’m already working on not swearing. Though sometimes I slip, adding some shockers to my 2-year-old daughter’s vocabulary. So I turned to my Facebook friends to come up with some ideas. Here’s a list of their top 10 things to give up for Lent.
- Online Shopping
(Thanks, Lisa. I am doing this way too much.) - 10 Pounds
(Good one, Theresa. Once this baby’s born I’m going to have to give up a lot more than that!) - Laundry & Dishes
(Chrissie, who gave you this idea? Was it…hmmm…I don’t know…maybe…SATAN!) - Give up TV!!! It is amazing how much more relaxed you feel to read a book and not turn the TV on.
(Michele, can I give up everything except for The Bachelor?) - Radio in the car –Use the time to pray
(Patty, I like this one. The car is where I usually check in with the man upstairs. But lately I’ve been a little out of touch.) - Mobile phone use in the car
(Karen, I should probably stop putting makeup on at red lights, too.) - Meat
(Now this one would be hard. I’d have no idea what to make for dinner. Any suggestions?) - Fast Food
(I like this one, Elizabeth. Though I would change it to “No Drive Through Coffee”. I’ll have a lot of extra cash on hand if I give that up for 40 days!) - Charlie Sheen
(Tim, we’d have to live in a bubble to escape Charlie and “Winning” anytime soon. Maybe #4 (No TV) will help.) - Illinois Taxes
(Mary – I like the way you think!)
So there you go. 10 great suggestions so I have no excuses. I’m going to pick one and make it happen. But it won’t be easy. Tom Waits puts it well on his album, Heartattack and Vine, when he sings, “How do the angels get to sleep when the devil leaves the porch light on?” My porch light’s on every night.
