Lent in Real Life: Week 1

I’m sighing a sigh of relief that this week is behind me. Not so much because it was the first week of Lent, though that’s part of it. It’s mainly because it was a busy week – busier than I like any time, but especially for the first week of Lent.
Monday was a birthday for one of our children so the morning was a little different to include opening presents. The afternoon was calm while my child went over to a neighbor’s house. But the evening was busy as we had a couple of the neighbors over while my husband was gone. It all went well, but was just more than usual!
Tuesday was pretty normal until evening. It’s my grocery day so I was out in the afternoon, cooked supper (Curried Chickpeas!) and then had to head out for a meeting about a homeschool co-op we’re planning to join. In general, I like to be home, but I especially don’t like being gone in the evening.
Wednesday was what I expect all Lenten Wednesday’s to be like: challenging on and off throughout the day with a grace filled evening at Pre-Santified Liturgy. It seems like Wednesdays are always hard and I just figure it must be Satan’s way of discouraging me and trying to get us to not go to church, or to go angry. I have found that often, if I remember to pray, things settle down once we’re at church, and/or I am given extra grace and strength to get through the service.
Thursday is our family’s day off. I spent the morning making many (too many!) cups of sofrito for future Lenten meals. I also got a new batch of kombucha brewing and tried my hand a tallow balm. It was a good, restorative day at home. Plus it snowed a little, haha!
Today has had its bumps already, but there’s nothing unusual on the schedule except going to church for the Akathist, which I’m looking forward to.



I’ve bulked up our family morning prayers with Psalm 122, prayer of St. Ephraim, and reading one section of an akathist. I started reading Tending the Garden of Our Hearts with the kids afterwards. I’m on track (for now!) with The Lenten Spring. I did start a Psalter group with church so I’ve been adding that to my afternoon prayers.
I’ve had a lot of opportunity to take my eyes off Christ and get worried and anxious and stare at the fog that our future feels to be. This playlist I put together has really helped me refocus. It puts truths about God into my head and keeps them there.
How was your first week of Lent?
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