"I'm giving up Rutabagas for Lent!"

I've decided that I'm giving up Rutabagas for Lent! I'll go deeper in my Lenten journey and give up Cabbage, Beets, Turnip Greens, and Collards. Does it sound sacrifical enough? Lent is a time to re-evaluate our focus as we journey toward the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ. Sometimes, we need to step back and give thought to why we do the things we do.

Back to my sacrifices of the season. I must confess to you that I'm really not making much of a sacrifice from the items I've named. I don't like to eat rutabagas, cabbage, turnip greens, beets, or collards. I don't eat these items anytime during the course of the year.

You know, it's easy to give up something that isn't very important to us! That's really not a sacrifice. Perhaps the better question we can raise is "What can we do that can help us to re-focus and capture the larger picture of life during these days?

It might be that instead of "giving up something", we would do well to "put on something." Maybe we could do something out of the ordinary to help other people. What if we used these days to expand our compassion, our understanding, and our love. Just maybe, a new transformation could take place. May it be so in my life and yours!