Friday, February 19, 2010

Free-for-All Friday: Lent

As you may know, Wednesday began the season of Lent. Peace and Solitude have now taken a deeper meaning, as I embark on a spiritual journey, breaking the unhealthy attachments, habits I have picked up during the year to prepare myself for Easter. I love this time and it begins so appropriately during these last days of Winter.
As a family, we use this time to remember what we mean to one another. To focus especially on treating each other with respect, to love one another as we have been loved. It entails doing small sacrifices and acts of kindness and mercy, spiritually "giving" them to God for another (by a random draw, each child picked a sibling to specially pray for during lent). Purple, the color of waiting, adorns the house again, as during Advent but, this time, without the joyful expectation. Our Lenten days are a bit more solemn as we focus on the ways we need to grow.
As we all need tangible things to help us understand the spiritual, this bowl of beans represent our deeds. The children place them in a jar as they carry out good deeds of their own or witness those of another. On Easter morning the beans are "miraculously" changed to jellybeans. This mirrors what God does with our kindnesses, turning them into grace.
It is easy to start with focusing on how to love each other better, but this naturally extends to our greater family - the others (not in a scary Lost way) outside our home. We use this box to collect money that will be given to a chosen charity at the end of these 40 days.  Purging the things we do not need and giving it to those less fortune is a large part of our journey. We have also committed to making lunches for a local homeless shelter.
I so look forward to this time, especially after the holidays. For though these are things we should do all year long, inevitably life steps in and distracts us. During these 40 days we reorient ourselves to what is truly important and carry the good habits we have formed into and beyond Easter season.

7 comments:

  1. What sweet sweet traditions. I love the good deed beans. I may just have to snatch that one right up. All of the things you and your family are partaking in sound so wonderful.

    :)Lisa

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  2. Your journal of what Lent means to your family brought tears. As I said on Valentine's Day..."why do we devote just one (or 40) day to keeping love, forgiveness, generosity, and respect in our hearts?" I don't know the answer; I'm just putting it out there.

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  3. Kandyce, you're always such a guide to me to how to raise mindful, thoughtful children. Thank you for your beautiful pictures too/ I just love your post--it gives me a lot of energy to bring to my own home.

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  4. Thank you, I do love our traditions, too. Truth be told, the good deed beans is an idea I snatched from someone else. I love the thought of it spreading. That's the way it should be :)

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  5. Thank you! I love you, Kel:)

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  6. It is true, that it can seem unfortunate that we devote a day or days to living the way we should all year long. I think it is a result of our humanity. We get distracted by responsibilities and discouraged when things don't go the way we want them to. Doing the absolute right thing, all the time, is a struggle. Because of how fickle we are, I am grateful that at least, for the devoted days, we do decide to focus on the things we should. My hope is that if we really make an honest and whole hearted effort to not just "do" what we should during those times, but actually change and grow, then those days are vital to eventually knowing how to live as we should everyday :)

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  7. I love your post...such simple but powerful ideas to teach children about acts of kindness. Thanks so much for sharing them with us!

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