reLENTless

"Are you giving up anything for LENT?"  I never really thought too much about it growing up.  I don't even think it was until I was in college that I learned what it meant and some of the religious significance.  Last night I was eating Girl Scout Cookies and reading some articles and before I knew it I had finished off a box of Samoas...(Oh, my goodness...they are so good...the coconut, caramel and chocolate combo...wow).

What have I done?!!! 

A child, who's name I cannot mention, told me to add this as a picture and caption, so I'll humor her :)

Anyway, my first thought was, "I can't believe I ate all those...they were so little, but they added up!"...then, "LENT begins tomorrow, so maybe I should give up sugar...or at least chocolate, or maybe just milk chocolate...just milk?...too hard to choose!"

So, I asked Brad if he had thought about giving anything up for Lent this morning as we were getting ready and he said he had not.  He asked me if I was thinking about it and I said, "Want to give up sugar?"  He didn't even give it a second's thought and said, "Nah." FUNNY! I am still going to try to do that, but I have been thinking about it today and laughing about it.  When we think of things we will give up, we usually have a semi-selfish reason for it (at least I do at times)...it can sometimes become a self-betterment scheme masquerading as a sacrifice...BUT, the important part of Lent is that it draws us near to God.  So, it is more about the motives for our choice...the why...than it is the what.  If you give up some kind of food, what are you replacing it with or allowing God to train you in the process?...if it is time spent in some way, what will you do instead with that time to draw near to God?... if it is a bad habit, how will you allow God to use the time to transform you?...etc.

To contrast, I think about what God has given up for me...HIS RELENTLESS PURSUIT to love me and rescue me really cost Him everything....and He did it all willingly and with absolutely NOTHING to GAIN for Himself.

Today, my Bible reading is the whole book of Ruth.. I read it through and just thought it was so appropriately timed for Lent.

(RELENTLESS): But, Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or turn back from you.  Where you go I will go, and where you stay, I will stay.  Your people will be my people and your God, my God.  Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried.  May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."  Ruth 1:16-17  

A woman who gave up everything comfortable and familiar for her love and loyalty to her mother-in-law and, ultimately, the God of her mother-in-law... is a good example for me...BUT, also a GOD who provided for her, protected her, gave her a wonderful (lower-case) love story, and even included her in HIS family line...I think this is a relentless kind of love!  

Well, Ruth, God did not have to deal with you ever so severely...(HA!...it makes me smile-cry that she said that... and now to know how God blessed her!) In fact, some people believe you are the wife of noble character described in Proverbs 31.

...LATER IN THE DAY....LOOK WHO I CAUGHT IN THE DARK PANTRY

 GOBBLING THIN MINTS

Most famous line for a moment like this..."I've only had two." :)

We always have one that is just like us, right?!