Lent means something different to everyone whether you are super religious or not.
To back it up a bit, I was born and raised as a Catholic. I went to a private-Catholic boarding school for high school and then attended a Jesuit College. As I got older I found myself getting further and further away from my faith and until recently (about 2 years ago) I made a promise to myself that I would change that. There are many factors as to why I felt like I was distancing myself away from the church and to be honest with you it started after the tragedy that happened in my hometown. I had a really hard time grasping that concept as to why this tragedy happened and I just couldn’t sit in that church where school children had their funerals and be happy. It didn’t felt right and frankly it didn’t feel like a safe place. I soon then realized that I sure have a lot to be thankful for and I shouldn’t be afraid/sad/questioning my faith. Fast forward to now, I’ve found a church that I enjoy going to and I try to find ways to build my relationship with God.
Lent is always a time where I try even harder to build that relationship and bring back my faith and I know I’m not the only one. It is the perfect time to try making a habit to go to church, volunteer more, give up a bad habit, etc. Lent means something different to every person and I think that is the coolest thing. Even if you aren’t Catholic, you can be part of this 40 day “adventure” if you will. With that being said, I wanted to highlight in today’s post what I am trying to do this lenten season and would love if you shared your experiences!
Do one act of kindness each day. This is such a simple thing to do and can be so little. For example, I reached out to my little sister of Big Brother’s Big Sisters who I haven’t spoken to in quite some time. I always think about her but get busy or sidetracked whenever I want to reach out to her. Just a simple text of “hi! how are you?” can make someones day.
Read more. I have been trying SO hard to read more. I was off to a great start the beginning of the year but the end of Feb / early March has been tough. I am trying to make a promise to myself to read 30 mins before bed instead of going on my phone.
Listen to a devotional podcast. Another thing I was so good at the end of last year and the beginning of this year. And this goes back to helping me with getting back on track with my faith. I found a daily devotional podcast that I love that is less than 10 minutes. Something I can easily incorporate every single day.
Volunteer. Find something that you are passionate about and find a way to volunteer! This can be absolutely anything but will guarantee to make you feel good about yourself by giving back to your community.
Kick a bad habit. Mine is being on my phone before bed. It is SO bad. Hence why my plan is to start reading before bed! I know it will help with my overall sleeping schedule/pattern so TBD if that really is true.
Do you participate in Lent?
Thanks for reading Elle’s Edit. If you have any topics that you would like for me to discuss, feel free to email me at elizabeth.lane.dooley@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you! xo
