Lent for Christians is often a time to give up something. But is can also be a time to pause and take stock of many aspects of your faith and life in general. A time to take up something for the first time, or to do something differently. It is a time not to be rushed but to be taken one day at a time. It is a time we can all use to review how we live, how we relate to others, and how we spend our time. The pandemic has also given us a similar opportunity, although some may feel that the pandemic has forced us to stop and take stock! There has been more talk than usual in the business world of work/life balance, home working, home schooling etc. How we have dealt with the last year has depended on what resources we have had to draw on and whether we are a ‘glass half full’ type or a ‘glass half empty’ type of person.
It has been a challenge to keep healthy in body, mind, and spirit, all three being interlinked. Personally, I have found myself developing a ‘toolkit’ of things and ways to help me to do this.
To retain physical fitness many people have faced the same challenges, particularly if mobility is an issue generally or there are no green local spaces to go to and we have had to be creative. Some have turned to on-line exercise moguls, others have got on their bicycles, possibly for the first time in years. Others have developed their own fitness programmes. Are you doing anything different this Lent to improve your physical health?
I have been fortunate to have a local park that I have been able to walk round, and my love of the natural world has grown as a result, as well as my interest in taking photographs to make my own Lent Walk of Reflections. I have given thanks to God daily for all that I have seen and heard during these walks.
There have been times when we have all felt swamped by negativity at every turn making it difficult for us to stay positive. One of the things that has impacted on my mental health has been the loss of opportunity to be spontaneous. So, during Lent I am making a conscious effort to draw on my love of the Psalms, many containing words of music and singing in them. I love the words of Psalm 101 which starts with the words “I will sing of loyalty and of justice; to you O Lord I will sing” and at verse 3 “I will walk with integrity of heart within my house”. Beautiful words with depth and inspiration within them.
This Lent I can often be found putting on my earphones and losing myself in a variety of music mediums, far wider than I had previously explored, often dancing, and/or singing along to them at the top of my voice, much to the annoyance of my husband! I have found Christian artists I previously did not know existed.
Psalm 30 verse 11 says “You have turned my mourning into dancing; you have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me in joy”. A comfort for us this Lent.
Surprisingly or maybe not so surprising has been the impact on how we worship and for me an impact on my spiritual development. Having had a lack of opportunities over previous months to connect with other people, I have begun to realise that although my faith and my relationship with God is not reliant on other people, my ability to be a disciple has been affected. Being a ‘people person’ I have found myself spending more time on the telephone than I have ever done, and my postage bill has grown enormously. But within this change I have re-found my creativity – to write, to make things, and to find fun and a reason to laugh when chatting to others.
So, as we progress through Lent this year, take time to think about your needs, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Let it be a time that counts not something that we just have to get through!
This video clip cheered my day recently and seemed appropriate to share with this reflection. The words being both a song and a prayer.
Kathy Shaw