Letting Go and Letting Lent

Anni Harry discovered that the key to a spiritually fruitful Lent lies in giving control over to God.

I would argue I experienced my most spiritually fruitful Lent a few years ago, not when I gave up one thing for Lent, nor added all the prayers. Instead, I focused on giving up one thing different each day: I gave up my “heart’s desires” each day. Something small, every day—one day it was fasting from getting something in the drive-through when the little ones were getting their treat/meal, another day it was fasting from a second helping, and a third day, it was giving up music in the car to instead spend time with our Lord in prayer. Yet, the key was to find something each morning that I was physically or emotionally craving, and offer that up during the day, whenever I felt tempted to give in to the craving.

At the end of Lent, I looked back and realized several things: first, I felt as though I had the most rewarding Lent ever; second, in those moments where I was tempted to “give in,” or “fail,” I found myself deeper in prayer as I leaned on God to accept the minor, daily suffering; third, I had given up my urge to control my Lent, and let God speak to my heart as I forged paths with random, or even intentional, acts of kindness toward others.

Yesterday, we again turned the page to the Lenten season—one in which we focus on prayer, fasting, and giving. The ashes we were given yesterday remind us to repent, and turn to the Gospel, and also remind us our lives here are a fraction of time, compared to our eternal destination. Lent offers us a chance to enter the desert with Christ, to steel ourselves against the snares of the devil, and to triumphantly sing the song of joy as an Easter people at its conclusion.

But, for now, let us focus on the desert …

Many people start Lent with high hopes. There are lists of over-indulgences, given up for the forty days (sometimes excluding Sundays). There are more hours spent in prayer, and spring cleaning offers us a ready excuse to give away the clothes, toys, or trinkets we spent the past year collecting.

Yet, the forty days can be long, and the discouragement can creep in all too subtly.

It’s for those moments of quiet doubt that this article is written—as a sort of pick-me-up, a gentle reminder, and a loving encouragement.

Sometimes, we plan all the Lenten activities.

And sometimes, God reaches through those plans to hand us an entirely different envisioned Lent.

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Too often, we have a tendency to tell God just what we think we need on this journey of life, and Lent is no exception. #catholicmom

When we enter these forty days in the desert, we think we know what’s best for our spiritual growth and nourishment. Yet, many times, we find ourselves surprised when our Creator finds a way to deepen our journey with unexpected twists and turns.

Too often, we have a tendency to tell God just what we think we need on this journey of life, and Lent is no exception. We have a plan, or a vision, or the perfect idea of what things should look like. And, when we start seeing wrinkles in the plan, we start to panic.

Thankfully, our individual Lenten journeys aren’t up to us.

Rather, when we start out Lent by handing God the keys to the vehicle of life, we place the control right back where it belongs—in His hands.

God, alone, knows the route that He will take to bring us into deeper relationship with Him.

Perhaps the best Lent ever isn’t the one that will go according to “our” plans. Instead, perhaps the best Lent we can experience is the one in which we invite God to take complete control.

Essentially, the most rewarding Lent I referenced earlier, I let God lead me into a deeper, intimate union with Him, by allowing Him to direct my way forward.

Every year, we are invited to give of our time, talent, and treasure, and Lent is one season of the Church that focuses on all three areas through prayer, fasting, and giving.

Lent is also a reminder that God’s love is so amazing, inclusive, and abundant, that He became Man, Who willingly suffered and died for us. Through the grace and mercy of God, we have the opportunity to enter into eternal life with Him in Heaven.

Like so many aspects of our faith, Lent is a journey.

So, as we kick off the first few days of Lent 2022, I invite each of us to examine our goals, and write next to them in our hearts a very gentle reminder: Sometimes, God will give us the Lent He knows we need, in order to grow closer to Him.

Maybe at the end of this Lent, you will see what you wanted to see starting out this week.

Or, perhaps, you will see a completely different outcome than you expect as we start this journey this week.

The goal, dear reader, is to focus on finding how God guides you this Lent, in a way which grows your own faith and trust in Him, as you possibly navigate uncharted territory.

The question to ask yourself today, on this second day of the new Lenten season is: are you prepared to let go, and let God guide your Lent?

Are you ready to let God help you grow closer to Him through your prayer, fasting, and giving this Lenten season?

Will you hand God the control to experience a spiritually fruitful Lent this year?

Copyright 2022 AnnAliese Harry
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