Dear Friends,
As March gets underway, so does Lent, a time of great significance in the Christian calendar as we prepare for Easter. I always see Shrove Tuesday as a sign of hope that the dark days of winter are now giving way to the (hopefully) much brighter days of spring and even as I write this in early February there are already signs of new life in our gardens and the days are starting to gradually lengthen.
Lent is often seen as a time when we give things up, I know one person who determinedly gives up chocolate for Lent every year and drops it into almost every conversation that she is looking forward to Easter Day when she can scoff as much chocolate as she likes, some would say “that’s the perfect way to spend the day” but, I think it is slightly missing the point, there ought to be a good reason for our self-denial.
By all means, give up chocolate during Lent, if that is your desire, but think about why you are doing it. You may feel that by denying yourself something you love makes you appreciate it all the more, value it, treasure it, and wallow in the joy of partaking again. But why not do something useful, like putting the money you would have spent on chocolate to one side and give it to your favourite charity at Easter as a positive response to your self-denial.
The other possibility is to start doing something you haven’t done before, spend half an hour a few days a week and wander around your village, actually look at the buildings, say a cheery “hello” to the people you meet whether you know them or not (I find that there are always dog walkers and joggers around) and smile as you speak, it really does brighten up people’s days. Maybe read a book, you have always been intending to read, phone friends, for no reason, just to have a chat.
In March 2022, as stress levels for many are running at an all time high, when people are feeling lonely and are struggling with the pressures of life, let’s try to make Lent this year a special time for our neighbours and our friends.
May God bless you in all you do.