A Lenten Fast

    As the Lenten Season began , I was oblivious to it as usual . My church fasts for a month  in January as the New Year unfolds  . So when Lent came around and everyone started fasting , well , I never participated .  I think , it brought on too many memories of my Catholic upbringing . I associated Lent with Catholics .
   Every book I opened , every devotional I read , every church I passed, everywhere I went .....I saw Lent . People were doing Lenten Trees , Lenten candles  and a Lenten 40 day devotional . Suddenly , people at work were giving up coffee , sweets , chocolate , soda and even smoking for Lent .
    What surprised me even more was that Christians were fasting . I'm ashamed . Why shouldn't we Christians participate in Lent ? Why did I think that? Again , I'm ashamed . There's that association thing again . Lent = Catholics . Doesn't Lent lead up to the Cross ? Again , I'm ashamed   for my way of thinking .
     Lent weighed heavily on me . The Holy Spirit pressing  on my heart to open my eyes . I even wrote this title in my notebook for no apparent reason ....A Lenten Fast . It stared up at me from time to time as I opened my notebook .
    This morning , I realized why . I needed to fast these last two weeks just for Emily and myself . I have done many fasts always taking prayer requests for others ...but not this time . This time , it was about us two only . Learning to just pray for myself has always been a struggle for me . I have considered it selfishness on my part when others need help .
   So today , I started my Lenten Fast . Unabashedly , praying for myself and Emily......