Fat Tuesday

 Lent starts tomorrow, which means today is Fat Tuesday. I have never been Catholic, but in elementary school all of my friends were and they explained Fat Tuesday and Lent to me. So in solidarity, I would faithfully give something up for Lent each year. 

As you can imagine, after leaving school all of my friends stopped with that practice. Not me! I kept it up for decades. I gave up all the good and fun foods for Lent, which turned out to be the best way to jump-start losing weight for the year. When you give up Girl Scout cookies, ice cream, cake and candy: that doesn't leave much, ha ha!

However, after all those years I started to feel like that wasn't enough. Did Jesus really care if I gave up junk food? Did that further His kingdom in any way? I think we all know the answer to that. So a few years ago, I started a new tradition. When Lent started, each night before I went to bed I would message someone and tell them what I appreciated about them, or what made them special. I figured this way, when they woke up in the morning, they would have something positive to carry them through the day. I wasn't looking for anything in return: I just wanted them to know that someone out there was thinking about them and wanted them to know they are special and why. 

This gave me more satisfaction than giving up sweets ever could. And I found out how many people needed this affirmation too; and it seemed to come at the exact right time in their life. So this was definitely a God thing. He knew what these people needed, and I was able to provide it.

Tomorrow I will start this again for the...fourth year I think. It makes me feel good to do this, and to let people know I care about them. I don't start out knowing who I will contact: it's whoever the Lord leads me to on a particular night. So check your social: you never know if you'll be next!

Oh, and I'll still give up Kool-Aid and probably ice cream for Lent. But it's not what's important anymore. People are. And I want to thank you for reading my blog and making me feel special and appreciated!