With today being Ash Wednesday, I have had to really think about what to give up. Now, I am not Catholic and I don't have to give up anything. Being Methodist means (among many other things)that I can eat meat on Fridays and I don't have to abstain from anything during the Lenten season. However, I have given up something every year for as long as I can remember. I had a youth leader/Sunday school teacher (Steve B.) who encouraged trying to sacrifice. He really wanted to shape us as people and taught me lessons that I will never forget.
Every year I give up something mundane, like soda, chocolate, or fast food. I even gave up meat one year (and got really sick from Anemia). This year I wanted something with meaning. I was going to be funny and say that I am going to give up those 15-20 pounds I have been wanting to lose. However, I will say that I am giving up 2 things. For 1 I am giving up my sedentary lifestyle. I need to get out more (and not to bars). I want to go for walks and exercise. Spend more time with my husband and less time watching TV, playing on facebook, etc. The second thing that I am giving up is my negative attitude. I am finding it harder and harder to see the positive in my life. So many things have gone wrong in the last year. (Of course, so many things are fantastic as well, but I don't always focus on that!) In less than a year, Travis has broken his hand and been out of work for 8 weeks, then wrecked his truck last year, and just this weekend, he dislocated his elbow and is out of work for at least 2 weeks. We were finally getting caught up on bills and were coming up with ways to save $ in case an emergency happened again. Well, it happened before we were ready. Then there is the fact that we have been trying (for a while) to start our family. It is just hard to stay positive when you want something so badly and it just isn't happening. It doesn't help that I know of at least 5 people who are pregnant and who said they had no troubles at all!
However, it is time for me to look past all of this and focus on what I do have in my life. I have an amazing husband, who despite being a klutz, is always supportive of me. He works hard to provide for us and I don't thank him enough for that. I have a great family who I love and great in laws as well. The past few weeks have shown how you can put your differences aside and support each other. I also have fantastic friends who listen to me ramble on about fears and concerns, and who are non judgmental when those fears and concerns are unfounded! I love my life and I need to say that a little bit more! Things will happen when we are ready for it!
Happy Ash Wednesday to those of you who celebrate it! Take time to remember the good in you life!
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