Lenten Overachiever

So Lent is coming. Usually I hate Lent. It's always been my least favorite time of the year. I mean, come on, who really likes giving up meat on Fridays and eating nothing sweet for 40 days? That's pure torture! Not to mention that I really hate seafood of all kind, so it's hard to eat on Fridays.


But Ash Wednesday is tomorrow, and this is usually the moment where I start frantically trying to think of something, anything to do for Lent. And in my scramble for ideas, I usually choose all of them and end up with unrealistic, unattainable, and un....well un-something else goals. I become a Lenten Overachiever who is discouraged and frustrated by the end of Lent.

Last year, however, I decided that I really didn't want to hate Lent and I wanted to get something out of it. I mean, it's supposed to be a time of growth - in virtues, not vices. It's not supposed to stress you out to the point that you end up sinning more than repenting. So rather than give all kinds of things up, I decided to do something - something simple, yet hard. I decided to make it my goal to have a daily prayer time - no matter what.

Practically speaking, this meant that each day I gave up whatever got in my way for praying. Some days it was facebook. Other days it meant not going out for drinks with my friends. Some times it meant getting a little less sleep that night because I didn't get to go pray sooner. (I usually pray at night). Whatever it was, I refused to let anything stop me from praying each day.

By the end of Lent last year, three things had happened:

1) My prayer life was much better
2) I didn't hate Lent anymore, and I came to see it as a time of growth and development
3) I wasn't stressed or mad at myself for not attaining impossible goals

Since last year though, my prayer life has once again become less of a priority in my life due to craziness (and all kinds of other excuses), so I decided that I will be trying my simplified Lenten challenge again this year. Whatever gets in the way of daily prayer is out. Facebook, friends, sleep, fun, etc.

I found this quote online and thought it was fitting. :)

My challenge to you, particularly if you're a Lenten Overachiever like me, is to really consider what you're doing for Lent. What is your goal? What are you trying to attain or grow in by the end?

If you're doing a lot of things simply to show off how holy you are or how much you can do, then you're acting just like the Pharisees Jesus reprimands for being hypocrites.

So this Lent, don't be a Pharisee - be Christ. Be Love. Be Joy. Be an example. 

Do something that will help you grow in virtue, not vice.