"What you practice grows stronger." - A British Monk | met in Thailand
Shauna Shapiro, Good Morning, I Love You
Today is the first day of Lent. For many of us, Lent means giving up something for forty days in preparation for Easter. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, one of my goals this year is to complete twelve thirty-day challenges, and as my husband said, when I told him about the idea, "It is like Lent twelve times in a year." Funny when you put it that way!
Have you ever asked why do we give something up for Lent? I mean genuinely pondered the question? And how do you go about choosing "your thing" for Lent or, in my case, twelve "things"? Maybe we choose "our thing" because we have a nagging feeling about an area of our life that needs attention. Perhaps it is a habit that is no longer serving us well or is interfering with our overall well being. These thoughts lead me to Gel Nails.
You may be wondering what in the world gel nails have to do with Lent or habits or "your thing," but stick with me (especially you Andrew)! I recently took off the nail polish from both my fingers and toes. I have had polish on my toes for a very long time and gel or powder on my nails for the past three years. I would go to the nail salon every three weeks, entirely out of habit! I knew that underneath their beautiful outward appearance, my nails were going to be wrecked. I was right! Without the polish, my nails looked awful and felt even worse than they looked. My nails were paper-thin, splitting, cracking, and catching on everything. However, I wanted my nails to breathe, repair, and grow, and I was committed to giving it a go!
It has been three weeks with no polish, and I find myself staring at my nails multiple times a day, checking for growth and repair. Who knew that while I was continually checking my nails, I would be learning some lessons along the way and how gel nails relates to Lent - a time to breath, repair and grow.
If there is an area in your life that you want to change, it is worth taking a closer look. Maybe you find yourself thinking; I should probably________(fill in the blank) cut back on shopping or drinking, exercise more, eat better, spend less, etc.. Perhaps this is one way to find "your thing" for Lent (if you haven't already done so).
Breaking a habit is hard. It just is! But it is not impossible. Believe me, it would be a whole lot easier to put the polish back on. Lent can be an excellent time to focus on an area of your life that needs change.
Have a why. Why did I choose this "thing"? A good answer that you truly believe in will help you commit to change. Maybe your answer is to reconnect to your faith during Lent, and "your thing" can be a daily reminder.
Growth and change take time and patience. This is common sense, but I always need a reminder. As I said, I look at my nails daily, and even though I can't see a lot of change happening, I appreciate that my nails are growing and getting stronger, even if it is barely noticeable. God works in our lives that way too. We don't always see change happening, but Lent can be a time to trust that God is helping us behind the scense.
"What we practice grows stronger." I love this quote from an incredible book I am reading by Shauna Shapiro* called Good Morning, I Love You.The quote is a reminder that if we continue to practice "our thing" it WILL grow stronger! God is with us on this journey of Lent, and He is continually helping us to breathe, repair, and grow!
Blessings for a Lent full of growth!
*Side Note: Shauna Shapiro has a wonderful TED Talk about changing our habits through mindfulness.