Lent in Real Life: Week 3

Somehow, chocolate has creeped into Lent. Generally, I try to fast from sweets except the occasional one for some celebratory reason like Annunciation or a name day. For now, I’m not sticking with that.

I think it started with my husband leaving out his 85% dark chocolate. Normally I am not even tempted as it is much too dark for me. I guess deprivation makes one not so picky and I tried some. It was actually really good chocolate, although still too dark.

On Tuesday as I left to get groceries, I grabbed a cheap hazelnut milk chocolate bar I had bought a while back. Things have been pretty tense around here with the house hunting and I just felt the “need.” At the store a (not so) dark sea salt bar caught my eye more than once and I ended up getting a couple. Turns out, that one is really, really good.

I’m actually choosing to not beat myself up about this “slip.” I tend to be too hard on myself and having a little chocolate here and there is really not bad.

The thing is, this Lent, our family is carrying an especially heavy load. House hunting with a deadline is just one of many heavy things on our minds these days. So if a little chocolate, along with many prayers, helps me get through the day a little better, I’m going to take it.

Overall, the week went well. We modified our morning routine a bit, moving up wake-up time for the kids. It’s been working well, though everyone is still a bit tired from the change. The things of Lent — fasting, services, etc — are feeling familiar and comfortable.

I’m behind on reading The Lenten Spring, but I still pick it up most days. I’m on track with the Psalter reading and in a couple days will have read the whole Psalter, which is a good feeling! The kids and I have been pretty consistent with reading Tending the Garden of Our Hearts during our Morning Time four times a week.

Mostly, I just feel really good about being halfway through. The rhythm feels good, but I know it’s not sustainable. With arriving at the middle, I feel like looking down the hill and toward the goal: the resurrection of Christ!

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