Despite all this giving up and penitence, it is important (and refreshing) to remember that God thinks we're utterly wonderful and loves us as we are. Here's a poem by George Herbert that I find does just that:
Love
LOVE bade me welcome: yet my soul drew back,
Guiltie of dust and sinne.
But quick-ey'd Love, observing me grow slack
From my first entrance in,
Drew nearer to me, sweetly questioning,
If I lack'd any thing.
A guest, I answer'd, worthy to be here:
Love said, you shall be he.
I the unkinde, ungratefull? Ah my deare,
I cannot look on thee.
Love took my hand, and smiling did reply,
Who made the eyes but I?
Truth Lord, but I have marr'd them: let my shame
Go where it doth deserve.
And know you not, sayes Love, who bore the blame?
My deare, then I will serve.
You must sit down, sayes Love, and taste my meat:
So I did sit and eat.
_____
I find it works best read aloud (might make the person at the desk next to you smile as well!).
So, even though we're giving stuff up and remembering our weaknesses, God sees what we're doing & thinks we're gorgeous.
Gone shopping?
Or has no new shoes changed our habits?
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11 comments:
I was interested to see that one of the essentials was underwear....do I assume that the existing items are going to fall apart during Lent?
Its a wonderful idea but I did buy some yorkshire puds today at the supermarket instead of making them! mia culpa
Yes Pat - I too thought underwear was funny as I think one can more easily manage with wearing old, tatty underwear (or none at all)more than with wearing shoes with holes in them.... but we all have our own list of essentials!
Hello - have decided to give this a go, doing OK so far, although I'm not sure the chocolate biscuits for tonight's Lent group were ABSOLUTELY essential....!
I think this is going to be quite hard. Especially deciding what is and isn't essential. I actually had to go and buy a new printer today as mine broke - and I couldn't wait until Easter Sunday. But a printer is essential for work so I'm counting it as OK. (but quite expensive!!!)
I love that George Herbert poem. It reminds me of the prodigal son.....best wishes all.
maybe next years experiment should be to live on a certain amount of money for the period...that would cut out the "essential/non essential" bit
Here's another thought provoker -less off topic of the post. Should lent come before or after Easter. Is there a case for the fast -and giving up coming liturgically in response to the great good news of Easter as we respond to God's grace and renew our awareness that he is all we need.
Actually...the ideal is that this life should be all the year round. And maybe one year we should actually fast?
hello all,
Welcome to the blog. The underwear issue has been raised by quite a few people. I simply want to ensure that if there is some freak underwear fire in my house that I can replenish the stock ;o)
I promise I won't use it as an excuse to spend a fortune in La Senza!
xxx
but you would go bare foot if all your shoes were destroyed...cool
Who here was told when younger that you must always have clean and decent underwear on when you go out, in case you get knocked down by a bus?! An absolute essential!
Yeah, my Nan used to say that. I'm always told that my Nan liked to save, so she used to make my Dad turn his underwear inside out to get one more wear out of it. (I'm still to establish whether this is actually an urban myth!) But that's saving for you!
Of course, it is well known that Anna stores her underwear on a pile of shredded newspaper and next to an open tin of petrol and uses a candle to light her way when sorting socks.
I'm beginning to think that further concentration on Anna's underwear buying and storage habits may distract from our spiritual 'refocussing' for Lent. But I've been spurred on to sort through my wardrobe and clothes draws today and thrown some things away going back more than one decade (yuk). What is startling is that having thrown so much out, I still have at least enough clothes to wear something different everyday for a month. Oh dear!
On the contrary. I think underwear has a great deal to do with our spiritual refocussing. After all,if our foundations are as they should be - everything else will fall into place! Remember the Wise and the Foolish Man!
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