Lent Day 2 — A Marathon, Not a Sprint

Yesterday, Ash Wednesday, was both exciting and difficult for me. Exciting; because I went to Confession, attended morning Mass and got my ashes, posted my first blog for the 40-day challenge, and started my general physical & spiritual exercises for Lent. Difficult; because everything hit me at once, like a truck. Even after just one day of picking up all of these wonderful new promises for Lent, I felt extensively, creatively burned out. I use the term “burned out,” because it was like I lost my mojo, my flame. It wasn’t “lit.” (Hah.) I went to bed feeling anxious rather than excited over the next 40 days. Like I had no idea what I was doing, what I had just gotten myself into. But just a runners do in a sprint, I’ve been using all of my energy up rather too quickly. And it’s gotten me exhausted; using all my pent-up energy and then burning it all out, quick as a candle flame. I’m tired of feeling tired.

Even now, says the LORD,
return to me with your whole heart,
with fasting, and weeping, and mourning… (Joel 2:12–18)

The first reading from yesterday was literally God taking my tired, dry bones, shaking off the dust from my shoulders, and telling me to let go. You can rest your head now, even cry a little. But return to me with your whole heart. I’ve got this.

So far, this whole week has been the epitome of God taking my plans, laughing, and then showing me His own. Every single thing, from my workday to the daily commute, to my plans for an hour to the gym just to get some cardio in. So far, I’ve tried to put my mindset into taking control of things, handling them as best as I could, and then God does entirely something else. And uncomfortable as that is, I’m learning slowly but surely to be okay with that.

keenly running this marathon along with you,
ae