Most of you know how tough 2015 was for me, and how life continues to be an uphill battle since my surgery. One battle in particular that I am continuing to fight is gaining back my faith.
I have always been a relatively religious individual, especially as an adult. When I began attending church in college after dealing with adversity around my sophomore year, I grew closer and closer to God. After my surgeries last year, I slowly began to lose the drive and passion I once had for continuing that relationship with God and my faith.
After long discussions with close friends and my fiance, I have slowly become more and more ready to stand up, dust myself off, and continue my walk with God. Physical therapy, surgeries, mental health adversities, and all health related battles are TOUGH. But this battle with my faith has been the toughest for me. I hate setbacks… and this is a big one.
Today, as many Christians know, is the start of lent. If you do not know, Lent is a time of year for Christians to grow closer to God though prayer, living simply, and in some cases, fasting. Since sophomore year in college, I gave something up for Lent in an effort to show my commitment to my faith. One year I gave up junk food. Another year I gave up Twitter. My point? It is that time of year again and as I sit here typing this, I think to myself, “Perhaps this is an opportunity for me to devote time towards my walk with God.”
Ya know, I have never been a Christian who goes to church every single Sunday, joins bible study, or goes on mission trips. I have been a slow, developing, Christian who needs guidance and will be open to those options when I feel I am ready. My goals as a Christian are to get on that level, though. My setback last year definitely threw a wrench in those plans, but the goals are not forgotten, just hazy.
This year for Lent, I want to get back on track and continue my journey. I plan to do so by starting slow giving up at least two hours a day that I would spend watching TV, playing video games, scrolling through the internet (including social media), or messing with my phone. During those hours, I will read the bible, a devotional, or anything that will guide me, and discuss what I have read with David. I also would like to give more. For health reasons, fasting will be tough, so in an effort to remain committed, I want to give back to others in some way. It can be as small as a sweet text to a friend in need or as large as a gift to a random person in need. Doing this together, I believe David and I will grow as a couple and as Christians.
After all, Lent is the time to grow your faith and focus your thoughts on Christ. I never TRULY understood that until I was presented with adversities like I have recently. This time of year has a new meaning to me and I hope that I can come back in 40 days with positive updates on how this journey is going.
What do you all think about this time of year? Tell me about your experiences with Lent, your walk with God, and your plans to continue that journey.
