Collapsing into Lent: Four Practices for a (W)holistic Spring Cleaning

The air you're breathing right now deserves to be treated with respect and honor as given from the Creator.

"It'll settle down soon."

"Once this passes, I'll get back into it."

I don't know about you, but when it starts to get warm again, even for a tricky "false spring," my eyes open to...my life. Rather, the current state of living in my life. And...not the prettiest sight for me this go-around. (I'm still awaiting the first of the daffodils to peek through. They're stubborn this year, it seems).

Granted, I was mildly sick earlier this week (probably a result of some of the following), but I lifted my eyes this sunny Saturday morning to piles of laundry, supplements untouched for weeks, a mostly-full water bottle, my Bible still in my church bag, an uptick in Netflix and social media intake, dishes piled from my diet of Annie's Grass-fed White Cheddar Mac & Cheese dinners, and receipts from coffee and breakfast on the go multiple days this week.

"Survival mode is just a season, right?"

That's what I said to myself last spring. And, I'm single and live independently.

Go ahead and laugh -- if you're reading this with a baby you're nursing, a toddler pulling on your shirt, and/or a teenager telling you you're out of milk as they polish off their 7th bowl of cereal of this morning, I see you.

The reality I'm coming to realize (again?) is that the this, the right now, is the juicy goodness of our lives. Not tomorrow, not next month, not at the end of the school year. The air you're breathing right now deserves to be treated with respect and honor as given from the Creator. It's your breath in our lungs, and we pour out our praise to you only, right?

Our priorities can get so bogged down by our busyness that we miss the opportunity to savor the life in front of us.

Which brings me to Lent. Bear with me; it all connects, I promise.

Lent - An Annual (W)holistic Lifestyle Reset

If you feel yourself scraping through the end of February year after year, needing to honor the "now," having succumbed to the chaos and deadness of the winter months, hear me out a second.

Now, I have no clue what spiritual background you have, but I grew up knowing Lent as little more than when some people "give up" something and when my grandparent's church changed their linen colors to purple.

I want to introduce you to the opportunity that the season of Lent can be to your life and the lives of your family as an annual, (w)holistic lifestyle reset (or "spring cleaning" if you're into that sort of thing).

A quick rundown if you need it:

Lent mirrors the 40 day wilderness wandering of Jesus before he was tempted by Satan in preparation for his public ministry. It changes every year because it operates with Easter around the Jewish calendar and when Passover falls. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday which is 40 Mondays-Saturdays before Easter. Why not Sundays? Traditionally, any sort of "fast" that is happening during Lent can be broken on Sundays during the season as you look toward Resurrection Sunday as the culmination.

How Lent's Four Practices Lead to a Priority Overhaul

The church historically highlights 3 or 4 spiritual practices during Lent: fasting, prayer, giving, and often some form of simplicity or self-denial.

These 4 spiritual practices hold the capacity to examine the muddled lifestyle and misplaced priorities we may look up to find ourselves knee-deep in, especially as we round the corner out of a stretch of long, dark winter days.

Why? When taken seriously, these practices unearth our underlying priorities and examine the posture of our hearts toward our Creator and the life he has placed before us.

Fasting - Looking Inward

"Fasting is simply an intentional way of putting ourselves in the way of grace by removing our reliance on earthly things. When we do so, we can feast more fully on the delight of God's goodness in our lives." / Tsh Oxenreider, "Bitter & Sweet, A Journey Into Easter"

During Lent, the modern church often has people say they are "fasting from ____." The blank there is usually filled with something that is inherently not good for you. People "fast" from processed sugar, soda, or social media to give some top-contender examples. I would be wary to use the term "fasting" as fasting defined is simply not eating food for a set period of time. Did you know that during Jesus' time, it was common for people to fast twice a week? The practice of taking a self-inventory and abstaining from something that has more control of your life than it should is, however, an incredibly beneficial practice to reorient your mindset during this season.

But, it's not fasting. It's important to read Matthew 6 literally when Jesus is giving his bit on fasting in the Sermon on the Mount, because you know what he says? "When you fast..." Not "if you fast." (Go read it sometime). Fasting traditionally from food is one of the primary lost spiritual practices of our day, and I think the replacement with abstinence for Lent has some part to play in that (in addition to the health world's adoption of fasting as a dietary practice).

I am not going to get into all the ins and outs of fasting, because it is a complex topic. If you want to learn more about it as a spiritual practice, I cannot more highly recommend John Mark Comer and Practicing The Way's podcasts and digital resources on it more highly. His wife's story in the third episode of the Rule of Life Podcast's Fasting series is life changing.

Here's why fasting fits into Lent: it reveals our disordered desires and what we are turning to for satisfaction. Yes, we turn to food for satisfaction from hunger, but how we choose to direct those hunger pains when we fast shows a lot about our hearts. Are we doom scrolling? Snapping at our kids (or students in my case)? Stuffing our schedule more? Shopping? (Oh dear).

Fasting is a time to examine our hearts before God. Maybe just fast through lunch and spend a chunk of time in prayer to start the morning and be more intentional in prayer during the in-between moments. Practice redirecting your thoughts back toward God. I find my heart so exposed yet closer to Jesus when I practice regular fasting.

The opposite of fasting is feasting! Both belong in this season. When I think feasting, I also think nourishment. When you are not fasting, remember the importance of taking the time to nourish your body with the nutrients it needs. I personally only fast when I feel like my relationship with food is in a nourishing and healthy place - which it sometimes isn't. Slow down. Prioritize nourishment. It honors God when you honor the body he created for you.

Things to remember: Fasting is not about pleasing God or displaying your piousness to others, (Matthew 6 again). It is an act of putting our body into submission under his loving care and all-sufficiency. Fasting also needs to be treated with caution for some health conditions, those trying to conceive (from nearing ovulation through their next menstruation, if it comes), nursing mamas, children, or those struggling with certain eating disorders. Also, remember Sundays are feast and celebration days to the Lord looking toward Easter.

Self-Denial - Taking Deeper Action from the Inward Look

Which leads us to the piece on self-denial, because this is a beautiful and important part of the Lenten season to me and many others. This also may be a practice that is easier to practically implement in your family life.

While the practice of self-denial may seem a good time to cut out toxic things in your life (which, yes, please do that), typically it is beneficial to focus on giving up a "good" thing when we're talking about this practice. Perhaps fasting traditionally will highlight an area where you are placing dependence in your life and could spend time abstaining from reliance on.

An example: if you often eat ice cream when you are sad, stressed, or overwhelmed, perhaps your act of self-denial could be to spend your Mondays-Saturdays during Lent as a time where you don't eat ice cream and practice other ways to connect with the Lord and his good gifts. And then have a HEFTY bowl on Sundays to celebrate his goodness.

Hot take: Social media is not a good enough answer for self-denial unless your relationship with it is truly golden, which it probably isn't. Set the time limits (yes, I'm setting them now, preaching to myself), and pick something that is truly good in your life to abstain from.

So, how can I set up self-denial as a practice with my family this Lent? Glad you asked. ;)

• Sit with your family and talk about some things we notice ourselves reaching for a little too much. Talk about why we are taking a break from a good thing to remind ourselves of God as the greatest part of our lives. Be challenging, but realistic with yourselves.

• Set up a plan of something to abstain from as a family or individually. I've heard of a kid giving up ketchup! Perhaps you won't be watching movies or playing video games as a family. Find God- and family-honoring things to fill the empty spaces. This could also be a sweet time to reorient your family life and dynamic toward what you desire it to look like versus what it currently does. Remember, spring cleaning!

• Celebrate on Sunday! This points to the reason for the Lenten season - the resurrection of Jesus and the finished work of salvation! Be sure to provide context for your kids and dig into celebration.

• Remember, failure is okay. We serve a gracious God. Pick up again tomorrow. :)

Prayer - Orienting Upward

What do you pray about? Thinking on this question is so convicting for me. So much of my prayer time I feel is spent offering my agenda to the Lord asking for his stamp of approval and movement toward it's execution on my timeline. Oof. What would it look like to sit at his feet like Mary and simply adore him?

Well, to start, it would rewire our brains. Meditating on scripture, filling our minds with the good, true, and beautiful has the power to transform us from the inside out - definitely impacting our nervous systems on the way. What media and voices could you pull out of your day-to-day and replace with that which directs your heart's attention toward Jesus?

Lent is also a time of penitence where we are to reflect on our failures and sin next to the all-sufficient, atoning work Jesus has accomplished for us. Spending some of your regular prayer time asking God to highlight your pride, failures, and other areas where sin has crept into the dark corners of your heart. Remember, shame is not from God; forgiveness from our failure is freely offered when we trust in him. Receive the grace. Let it wash over you. "the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace," (Numbers 6:25-26 NIV).

If spending time in daily prayer and sitting at the feet of Jesus is not a part of your daily routine, consider Lent an opportunity for a fresh start. After all, this is the better time for new year's resolutions as it is warming up and lighter in the mornings.

• Find a routine that works for you. Evenings, mornings, after lunch during naps or quiet time - all time is good that is offered to the Lord.

• Pray around the table with your family. Confess your sins to each other. Vulnerability and honesty from your failures will go a long way in their watching and modeling of your faith.

• Fill your house with uplifting and worshipful music and media, especially during this season. View it as a reset. Come back to secular media after this set season of time away from it.

Giving - Moving Outward

I'm starting a business. So, yes, I am anxious about money. To be fair, my relationship with money has always been a bit complicated. I've had seasons in recent years where I start to think I'm in a more healthy spot with it, and then I'm back in more stingy, anxious feelings.

Over the summer, I practiced a neat generosity practice where I started always tipping, even for things that seemed silly to tip for. Maybe you already do this. But, having grown up very aware of finances together with the economic climate we're in at present, my gut reactions had been to hold tight to my extra change during checkout. But, not when I see the new, seasonal flavor of kombucha. I felt convicted to honor the barista handing me my coffee or the take-out preparer as a person to bless with an extra dollar or two.

What I'm saying is, we often use our money to solely serve ourselves. And, while that's functionally hat money does, provide for our needs, I think we too-often view money as first ours rather than offering the firstfruits to the Provider and holding active, open hands to those we rub shoulders with. Further, we then focus on our lack rather than on what we already have as a gift. You don't need more.

I think we too-often view money as first ours rather than offering the firstfruits to the Provider and holding active, open hands to those we rub shoulders with.

Yes, I wanted to speak explicitly about money to head this "Giving" section, but a lifestyle that is oriented outward is not just a financial thing. I find myself often just as stingy and inconsistent with my time usage as I am with my spending habits. So no, I'm not saying "it's okay if you don't have anything to give financially, just give your time." I'm thinking about the widow who gave the one coin, everything she had. But, I do think that often giving financially, especially to the needy, without also giving time and attention can be absent-minded and distant.

The challenge: Examine your priorities reflected through your spending habits. Where can you cut back (ties into that self-denial) or make space in your budget during this Lenten season to serve and honor others around you, especially those in need, over and above your regular giving? How can you guide your children to adopt a healthy posture toward money, time, and serving those in need?

Get your family involved:

• Have your kids help you make a meal for a family stretched by time, resources, or hardship

• Offer an elderly neighbor help with yard-cleanup or garden prep. If they insist on paying you, find some way to give that money back to the community

• Shop for some pantry staples (maybe with some of their own money) and then serve at a local church's food pantry

Watch Your Priorities Shift

The Lord delights when his people draw near to him. You may find that the "good" things you abstained from are no longer things you desire (or at least as strongly). You may continue in the prayer and generosity rhythms that shaped your Lent journey together.

"Now" is always a beautiful time to begin. But, there is something about the new life of springtime paired with the wilderness-wandering, self-examination season of Lent that lends itself beautifully to new beginnings. Embrace the new start. Reject feelings of shame in the name of Jesus. Accept imperfection. Keep stumbling forward. Your father's embrace is there waiting for you as you stumble toward him.

Be encouraged. :)