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| Should we tell him? |
So, back in the days when I was young, at UCLA, I saw one of my
friends heading towards Bruin Walk from the Quad. I stopped her and was like, Hey, you know you have something on your
forehead. And she was all, Yea, I know, it’s Ash Wednesday… And I was all like, What does that have
to do with that stuff on your forehead tho? And she looked at me
confused, Um, its ashes…
I mean, I let it go because, um, well…she knew what it was. And
that’s when I realized that she was Catholic. And it was indeed Ash Wednesday.
And, I was probably the most insensitive student development educator in the
making. Not that I had any idea I wanted to go into student development at the
time. Or knew that I wanted to educate anyone about anything.
Less or more than ten years later, I was sitting in
a computer lab doing training with my staff. My RLC reaches over to tell one of
the Assistant Directors (discreetly) that she has something on her
forehead.
Yesterday was Ash Wednesday.
The hope is that in 40 days, the vices will be no more. We will
live to see another day of ashes and give some other newly acquired bad habit
back to the evil that spawned it.
This year is no different from any other year. I have spent many a
pensive night attempting to figure out how I could keep my mind stayed on Jesus
during Lent. Especially since I have committed so much to this running thing,
right? #14in2014 has been my whole, entire
focus. I'm really sacrificing for these
medals. And I love everything about the experience! It’s
resonating with so many people. They wonder about it. They ask about it. They
want to be about it. My cousin, whom I haven’t seen in ages called me one day
and said that he had a dream nightmare that he was running in a
marathon with me. My other cousin who came to visit me, this very Ash
Wednesday, did not forget to ask me about my running, and spent part of our
reunion examining all the fine medals in my purse.
I want this year’s experience to do that same thing. Then, I
realized that I don’t want it to be so big, or as grand, or as mentionable as #14in2014 at all. I want it to be
something personal. Something between me and Jesus. So that it doesn’t become
that awkward moment at the bar, right? That everyone knows about…
Guy: So, what are you drinking?
Me: Drinking? Oh, I’m not having anything.
Guy: You don’t drink?
Me: Oh I do, but I gave up alcohol
for Lent.
Guy: Lent?
Me: Yep. No alcohol for 40 days… #and40nights #TheNoahStruggle
Guy: Uh, okay. If you were
drinking, what would you order?
Me: Probably a peach ciroc &
ginger ale.
Guy: That sounds good.
Me: Wait. I’m not drinking,
remember? Lent? No alcohol. You don’t have to get me anything…
Guy: Well, I wanted to buy you a
drink. So these are for you and your friends.
Me: I’m going to give them all to
my friends, I can’t have alcohol.
Guy: It’s your drink. You can give
it to whoever you want. Would you like something else?
Me: Um… A Red Bull maybe?
There’s this song I listen to at least once a day. About asking
for help. To love others. They way that He
loves me. And I sing it like I mean it, because I really do. I want to
love with the kind of heart that He loves with. And that’s what I’m going to do
this Lent. The purpose behind giving up those bad things is that after the 40
days, they’re gone right? So, I’m going to do some good things for the next 40
days, and hope that they stick with me afterwards, right? Right.
40 days. 40 acts of kindness. Only, I’m not keeping a record or
score – at least not a public one. Nobody but me (myself & I) and Jesus need to know what
they are. I’m not going to be an NFL Play 60 commercial, on camera, smiling
walking around with kids hanging from my arms. Or just got drafted to the NBA
reading Dr. Seuss to kids on TV. None of that. Blogging about all the
wonderfully kind things that I did for the world because I got 99 problems, but
helping an old man across the street ain’t one of them type posts. Nerp.
My prayer is that after I eat every single thing Easter Sunday,
and wake up from my sweet potato pie induced ‘itis, I will get the opportunity
to do something kind for someone else. That it would be my natural inclination,
to look for an opportunity to share the goodness in my heart I built up over
the last 40 days (and 30
some-even years) with someone else.
Happy Lenting!
40 days…40 acts of kindness. I love that!!! And thank you for the clarity around what exactly Lent and Ash Wednesday are about for we non-Catholics.
ReplyDeleteYes! Learning about Ash Wednesday was a great lesson for me! I had never seen anyone with stuff on their forehead growing up! LOL It's amazing all of the things I learned in college - not in the classroom!
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