April 2022

We are in the Lenten season and on Ash Wednesday many of us made resolutions to commit to change our lives over the next forty days so that we might be more like Christ. Many chose to fast in many different ways. Mostly I hear of those who sacrifice the delicious chocolate we have all come to love and overindulge in on too many occasions. Some give up fast foods, social media, being too inactive, etc. The list could go on and on but the one common denominator is that all of these things, while separately may not be bad for us once in a while, are bad for us when we continually overindulged so much that they became the normal.

Lent is a time to "repent" and return to God – re-focus our lives to be more in line with Jesus. It is 40-days to test yourself in changing your lifestyle and letting God change your heart. How many of us have sacrificed one of our guilty pleasures for 40 days and then on that 41st day completely obliterated a bag of chips, candy coated chocolate pieces, french fries and a milkshake just for breakfast??? So, what does that say about the way we “re-focused” our lives? That we only had do it for 40 days and we’re good? That is a hard NO. This is not the way we should approach life changing ways to live our life in line with Jesus. Key words: LIFE CHANGING. Even if you go back to eating that delicious piece of chocolate and spending time on social media, keep the focus on that less is truly more. The less time you spend on social media, the more time you have to spend with loved ones, devotional time to grow your faith, volunteering to serve those in need. Add a piece of that chocolate back but add a 30 min walk outside in God’s great creation -- nature. Continually decrease the want you have for things and slowly replace that time and energy with what is good for you, good for your soul, good for your walk with Jesus and life changing.

Marcia K. Gibney

Director of Recreation Ministry
Christ United Methodist Church