As strange as it sounds, when it comes to things that come around every year, the Lenten season is my favorite. I get excited about Lent the way kids feel about Christmas and the coming of Santa Claus. My senses tingle with anticipation. It feels magical.

I don't embrace Lent because it's religious or because I have to. Sometimes Lent is only seen as part of a list of rules that need to be followed and I just don’t see the point of that. I see Lent as an opportunity and you certainly don’t have to take it.

How I experience Lent changes year to year and I usually decide based on what I've been noticing God doing in my life.

Sometimes Lent is about me adding something to my life: more time meditating on God’s word, more time with community, etc.

Sometimes it's about sacrifice that will remind me to turn to God instead. For example, if I give up caffeine, I have an opportunity to remember Jesus and that He is all I really need every time I crave a cup of coffee (that really is just an example, I haven’t been brave enough to try it.)

Sometimes I sacrifice because even something that can be good has become too big in my life and I need to take a step back. This is usually the most difficult for me because it touches on things like social media or how I spend my money.

The bottom line is giving Jesus some extra elbowroom. I want more space in my life for Jesus to move, to speak and to shake out what shouldn’t be there.

One year in college I gave up Facebook for Lent because I recognized it was taking up a lot of my time. A couple weeks later I broke my fast just to make sure a guy had my phone number. Now if Lent is about rules and only rules then I broke my fast and I’m a failure and that’s the end of that. But I love the idea of Lent being an opportunity for Jesus to clean house. I’m so thankful I broke my fast because it opened my eyes to a much bigger area of sin and control in my life- needing people to tell me what I’m worth.

I get so excited about Lent has the potential to tangibly display the essence of the Gospel- that Jesus doesn’t get boxed into only fixing what we think needs fixed. Jesus isn’t limited to whatever I think I need. Lent is just me taking a step in the right direction, making my own minuscule attempt and having faith that Jesus will do so much more.

By the way, what I said earlier about Lent feeling “magical”? That might not be the right word but “Holy” definitely is. Lent is all about the anticipation of Easter- reminding us that Jesus came to earth and changed everything and He’s promised to come back. Why not start the celebration early?!