Lenten Experiences

This post is by Bettye Kray, a member of Aldersgate UMC:

I remember when I was a child my friends and I would talk lots about what we were giving up for Lent. I don’t know how much we fully understood what it represented, but we knew we had to do it.

Most of my friends would give up candies, cookies, chewing gum, sodas, etc. Since I don’t have a sweet tooth, it was difficult for me to decide. My favorite food was butter. How do give up butter? It is in so many things.

As we grew older, I remember my Pastor talking about giving up something that was a favorite of yours. Something that was special to you. Right away I thought of my bicycle. A light went off. I really loved my bike. I would take off riding, falling, riding, falling, riding all over the neighborhood, as well as other neighborhoods. This often worried my Parents, particularly my Mother. Problem child that I was I did it anyway. So, here’s this maybe ten, eleven, twelve year old giving up her bicycle for Lent. Most of my family and friends thought this was really strange. My Mother thought I had found Jesus.

Let’s move forward some years. Ok, many years. Ok, many, many years to today. I had open lung surgery on February 1st of this year. I am still in recovery mode, but doing very well. However, I cannot go to church yet. My goal is to be able to go to church on Easter Sunday. Thanks to the glories of technology however, our services have been recorded, and I have been able to watch them at home, whenever I want. 

In one service our Pastor Mark was talking about celebrating Lent as possibly not just giving something up, but doing something special for the season. Interesting thought to me, yeah, I like that. Then, he went on to talk about breaths and breathing. Talk about getting my attention, given my current condition. Pastor Mark gave us the idea of breathing in God’s love, and breathing out God’s praise, for Lent. What a wonderful idea! Now remember, I am dealing with pulmonary experts who are telling me how to breathe properly, that is, smell the roses and blow out the candle.

I am truly enjoying my new breathing exercises, and doing my best to live, “Breathing in God’s love and Breathing out God’s praise”. I don’t know how often we breathe. However, I am thinking this whenever I consciously breath. I feel closer to God with every breath. I will continue long after the Lenten season is over.

Blessings to you all.
-Bettye