Lent, in retrospect

Well, as Lent started, I had already found out I was pregnant. In an attempt to do everything right this pregnancy (so that I won't blame preterm labor on myself) I immediately gave up coffee. For 3 years straight, coffee has been one of two Lenton sacrifices. The other one chocolate. Because I'd already sworn off coffee for the baby, I felt a need to fill in its place with some other sacrifice. But, I was pukey. And puny. And had sworn off quite a bit of food already. There really wasn't a food or drink that I could think of that I would be sad without.

So, I decided to DO something for Lent instead of give anything up. So, I (and I'm embarrassed to say this) too the shrink-wrap off my Bible and pledged to read it every night. And I did. And I'm glad I did. But, now Lent's over and I'm going over my Lenton season and I have some thoughts.

1. Not giving up something makes the end of Lent a tiny bit anticlimactic. Last year, I got up Easter morn and went to the kitchen and made coffee and put chocolate creamer in it. YUM!!!! Lent is over!!!!! Jesus is risen!!! And there is chocolate coffee!!! When you do only a good thing, there is no celebratory moment.

2. When you do something good, it feels wrong to stop doing it after Lent is over. Not that I dislike reading the Bible, but I got a little lax on it since Easter and I feel really bad about it. Maybe Lent taught me that reading the Bible should be something I do daily, Lent or no Lent. Well, my mom and dad, grandparents and 12 or so Sunday School teachers also taught me that.

3. I really miss coffee.

4. I should have still given up the chocolate. I ate way too much during Lent. The baby will be mostly chocolate.

5. Next year I'll sacrifice and do good. That way, I start a new good habit AND get to have my Easter morning celebration.

6. You know when you hear an awful story and you wish that person had maybe kept that part to themselves? That's how I feel about the Old Testament. Most of it. Like 75% of the part about Moses. I kind of wish they'd left out the taking over of towns and sacrificing Moses's son and all that and just kept the burning bush and 10 commandments and parting sea.

7. Its a good thing PETA wasn't around when the Bible came out. OOOOHHHH would there be DRAMA. They sacrificed more lambs, oxen, and bulls in the Bible, I'm suprised we even know what they are. And they were all pick about it, like a virgin lamb, or a male ox.