Lent is one of my favorite times of the year. It is a time for renewing my relationship with God, committing to removing the barriers between myself and the Spirit and extending outwards in service.
This year, though, I wanted to try something a little different.
After seeing a random article on the far-reaching impact of the book Eat, Pray, Love, an idea struck me: What about having an Eat, Pray, Love Lent?
Each day, a few of us are committing to sending a text to a Lenten prayer text group with an item for each of the categories:
Eat: Grounding in the Earth
What joy/pleasure did you savor from the day? Noticing the flavor of food, feeling the softness of sheets or feeling the purr of a cat on your lap grounds us in the present moment. This reduces anxiety, increases self-control, and connects us to gratitude.
Pray: Reaching Out to God
What/who are you praying for? Or, what do you need prayer for? Reaching out to God increases our bond with our creator as well as each other. It increases compassion as well as grows our trust in God.
Love: Connecting with Each Other
When did you feel deeply connected with someone else today? This encourages us to be intimately present with those we walk with each day. We notice the sparkle in our children’s eyes, listen intently to our spouse’s words, hear the heart cry of someone we pass on the subway. “Whatever you do for the least of these, you do unto me.” Matthew 25:40.
Yes, I still intend to fast, to give of our family’s means and spend more time in service, and to reserve long periods for deep meditation. And yet, I believe this practice: both training my heart and mind to notice the beauty and love around me and celebrating these moments with loved ones, will be an extraordinary journey.
We need God’s peace, increased gentleness and compassion, and deep, intentional prayer for our world. Perhaps we could use an eat, pray, love kind of Lent.
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