Time After Time

"This year for lent don't give up chocolate or cake; rather give up your time so you may spend it with He who is Divine."

I posted this as my facebook status on Ash Wednesday 2010.  

I then shortly saw it re-posted on an old classmates status. 


And he later had this to say:


In my mind, that's the point. Not that I've really ever observed Lent (the churches I've been part of haven't ever done anything with it), but I think the point should not be to give up drinking pop or the internet or "chocolate and cake" but to focus and remember the sacrifice made for us. I'm not sure, for myself, giving up high fructose cornsyrup or the world wide web would do anything to focus my mind on Christ's death and resurrection.

Being unfamiliar with Lent, I'm not sure how the tradition of picking something to give up got started. But there has to be more to Lent than that, at least in my mind.

I however am oh so familar with lent, Fish at Long John Silver's on Fridays with the family, as well as not eating school lunch (tuna or peanut butter) on those days.  But the kicker was, what are you giving up this year.  A toy, video games, tv, the list goes on. But why are we "giving up"?





The point of giving something up, is so in the absence of that thing, you can devote more time to focus on Jesus. The "sacrifice" we make is to help remind us of the sacrifice Jesus made. SO when it's hard not to watch tv or eat cake you focus on Him. I've come to see lent as an opportunity to do something more and not something less, as many people now see it as I have to "give up" something.

Growing up I could remember saying, why don't we do more instead of do less?  Go and help someone, go and serve, do something in the name of Jesus you would not normally do.  But now I pose this statement.

"This year for lent don't give up chocolate or cake; rather give up your time so you may spend it with He who is Divine."

And in that time perhaps it will be revealed to you to go and help someone, to pray for someone, to serve someone.  I don't know, but I'm sure it will end up with us showing other Jesus.  It's easy to give something up, I've given up my 360 since December 24th but that's because it broke.  But I've done it.  I've "given up" video games cause I wasn't in the mood to play them.  I think we have missed what Lent is supposed to be.  A sacrfice, to remember the price.  

And I'm not saying to not give up something, but if you do, make it something hard.  Something that is a sacrifice.  Something that will make you struggle.  And in that remember what Christ did for you and then go further with it and share that love with another.

That's what Christmas Lent is all about Charlie Brown.

You're a Good Man Charlie Brown

I was at Wal-Mart the other day and met a great man, Dustin...but first let's rewind.

Back at the turn of the century I found a passion for persons with developmental disabilities.  This passion was found at FUMC in Wichita, KS where I worked at the RNC (Religious Nurture Center).  It was there that I found such wonderful, challenging and growing experience.  Then I had to move away to head to college but was still able to work with that population and it became more of "I'm going to hang out with the guys" then "work."  A couple years later I found myself driving the special ed bus, pure joy, chaos, love, chaos, but most of all love.  Then I graduated, got a job and moved and that part of my life, that beautify written chapter of my life had come to an end.

Then I met Dustin.

I was rocking out my most awesome Mario hoodie, that Crystal (the wife) gave me for a wedding present (though i'm saddened by the small holes he is developing).  Suddenly I'm greeted by a young man who was very excited to tell me about his triumphs and struggles to beat the dreaded Bowser.  He's one tough lizard, I commented and shared some of my own struggles defeating Bowser.  We continue down the chip aisle and he asks my name and I ask his with which he replies "Dustin."  I look up to the adult that was accompanying him and turns out my thoughts of this young man perhaps copying me were squelched with a simple head nod of, yea that's his name too.

We had a short talk, a brief discussion of how my last name was a bad word and ironically Crystal shared the same catastrophe.  Yet, Dustin's companion gently explained that it was our name and not a bad word.  Dustin was also fascinated by the unbelievable amount of soda we had in the cart.  I explained it was for our youth group. And then just as fast as he came into my life he was gone.

But Dustin was a bright shinning star on my path of life, a gentle reminder of my love for that population.  So full of child like faith, courage, intrigue and splendor.  I was riding high and hope I blessed him as he blessed me.  For far to many times we dismiss those people who are different, those people we don't understand.  I hope to run into Dustin again at Wal-Mart someday.


It was working with people like Dustin, that created friendships and connections that have become priceless to me; the passion stirred in me, shook me to my core.  We may not understand the world, people may scare us, they may seem weird.  But the one thing that I learned, it's the world that has labeled them as strange or different not the people themselves.  They are just like everyone else, of course they are.  Created in the image of the Farther in heaven.  I'm so delighted to have the opportunity to see the many faces of God through these people and am recently very thankful for the face of God though Dustin.

Keep strong Dustin, for one day you too will conquer that lizard we have come to have a love hate relationship with, Bowser.