We did it!

Lent is a time when RC kids prepare the way of the Lord. I know I started talking about Godspell and JCS earlier, but seriously, who knows Godspell? Sing it with me: Preeepare ye the way of the Lord; Preeepare ye the way. Of. The. Lord!

I love that one. It’s the Easter Triduum earworm of choice. So good.

As an RC Adult, giving up an arbitrary thing during Lent started to feel easy. It felt like something I didn’t have to think about. I just had to lock in to not eat a thing and done. The lack of drive-through warm beverages or potato chips or whatever didn’t seem to be helping me do much to prepare the way (of the Lord…Preeepare ye the way of the Looord!). There didn’t seem to be a conversation with Ghod in those things. So, I started the Lent Reflection project. And these thinkythoughts do feel more like a conversation to me.

I know where my constitution falls short daily: The moniker Swearyparent is earned. I mean, mumbling swear words under my breath as I parry and riposte with the technology gremlins that challenge me every day certainly isn’t a break in my religion or my faith. But still, there are better things to try to correct (like the caustic snark that shows up sometimes) to prepare the way (of the Looord! Super catchy, right??). Thus, the spring cleaning of my soul became the goal. If I want to prepare a place for Ghod to live, spring cleaning is a good exercise. This year was certainly different. Most of my ‘doing good works’ efforts were around staying home to help flatten the curve. Certainly there was prayer. My fasting felt… imposed. There wasn’t drive-through warm beverages because I just didn’t go out. There was certainly more technology time – which was partly to tame my anxiety. And I don’t feel like that was a bad choice for me. In different times, I would have done different efforts. But there were only a few days during Lent when I struggled to get something posted. Sure, sometimes they were late, but they came.

I like that there are both RC kids and others along the whole faith spectrum who play along at home.  But if you haven’t been brought up with some kind of faith background, it really is hard to explain. I came up with this a few years ago, and on the last Lenten post of this year, I’ll revisit it again.

When we moved from McDonald’s Corners to Cambridge, Louie was not impressed. It was upsetting and stressful and worrisome. But when we brought him to our new house for the first time, he ran right up on the porch and stood at the back door with his tail wagging. He had no idea about what was on the other side of that door, but he knew it was where he belonged. My faith is about the something good that’s beyond a door that only God can open for me. Today I celebrate the Resurrection of an innocent Man who got the snot kicked out of Him so that I could find that door. May I be as excited and confident to stand before it as Louie was.

So thanks for once again indulging me the yearly Lent Project. I like it when you play along at home – even if it’s not every day. So here’s to you, peeps. This wasn’t the project I had imagined it would be when we started a month and a half ago. At the end, though, I know it is always a good effort to improve yourself. It’s never wasted effort to be a better version of yourself, right?  May the effort I put in during Lent stick with me for the rest of the year.