Went up to church this afternoon for the imposition of ashes. The mid-day service pulled quite a crowd, for a mid-day service. It is the beginning of Lent, the 40 days of fasting, prayer, and meditation that Christians are asked to do every year, with an emphasis on self-examination, repentance, and renewal.
I was thinking during the service how hard it is for people afflicted with depression to hear the Biblical words exhorting us to serve others, and think less of ourselves. It is too easy to slip into the swamps of low self-esteem, and believe that that is where Jesus wants us to be. It is too easy to believe that trying to help and fix others is more important than taking care of ourselves.
I beg to differ with that take on scripture. In my experience the true end of Christ’s teaching is that we become the best version of the selves we were created to be. Christianity is supposed to be transformative, not narcotic. I just wanted to mention that.
I’m not doing well with Lenten meditation and fasting. Last night I made pancakes for supper for Rick and me, in observation of Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras, Fat Tuesday). This evening he said he really enjoyed those pancakes last night and I said yeah, we’ll have to do that again sometime.
“How about tonight?” he said.
Well, the poor guy has been sick and is craving carbs, so I heated up the griddle and went to work. Of course there were more pancakes than he could eat alone, so I had a couple, with maple syrup and boysenberry syrup. They were delicious. So not doing too well on the fasting. My skinless, boneless chicken breasts prepared a la diabetic recipe are simmering away, and I’ll have one of them and some green beans I suppose. I don’t know if that penance will make up for the pancakes.
They really were good.
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