Lord, please take away all my resistance.

Lord, please do not let me be slavish to my plans.

Lord, do not let me be done in by my discouragement.

Lord, let me turn over to you all my self-doubt.

Lord, let me make of my life this Lent a true sacrifice to you.

Lent is not about dieting, nor is it about drowning in misery and sinfulness.  Rather, it is just the opposite. I am learning that Lent is about experiencing the fullness of God in a new and focused way.  It is deliberately sacrificing the time and energy to make your faith a joyful reality in a life that is bombarded with distraction and discontent.

For me, this is so relevant to what lies ahead.  So many things are about to change.  For a control freak like me, this is terrifying–beyond terrifying, actually.  But there is so much joy to be uncovered if I am able to peel back the layers of fear, doubt, and self-preservation.  Under those layers are a core of sheer joy and gratitude, and they should be protected by a shroud of hope and possibility not their usual, faulty armor.  This is my prayer for Lent.  While it is true that I am giving up a couple of material things as reminders, I wish to give up this notion of self-reliance, which only breeds anxiety, and adopt a life of possibility in Christ.