Lent, not lint.

Okay fine. I'll confess. I let The Hubby catch me making notes about belly-button fuzz.

It was such a great small group gathering. A girlfriend was sharing some sweet thoughts she gleaned from a sermon at her old church. I was writing, writing, writing... and then, as commonly happens, The Hubby stole my pen. "Oh, she's said something that's struck a cord with him," I thought.

On the contrary...

His hand approached my page of notes. "What it's going to be? What did she just say?" I thought.

"Lint" became "Lent" on my sheet of lined paper.

1st thought- BAHAHAHHAAAAAA.
2nd thought- Duh.
3rd thought- He's right... again.

Honestly, I hadn't thought about the season of Lent until small group last night.

According to the always-right Wikipedia (sense the sarcasm there), Lent is:

"... the penitential preparation of the believer—through prayer, penance, repentance, almsgiving, and self-denial. Its institutional purpose is heightened in the annual commemoration of Holy Week, marking the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, which recalls the events of the Passion of Christ on Good Friday, which then culminates in the celebration on Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ."

In past years, I've given up things like chocolate, checking email more than once a day, and drinking soda. I've never had the urge to do something like "give up Facebook" and I simply couldn't "give up Pinterest." (What would we eat? What would we craft? Oh, the horror!)

What I took away from the conversation last night was different, however, from the usual "What am I going to sacrifice this year?" thought process. For the first time, ever, I was more focused on "What am I going to put in this new-found time in my day or space in my brain?"

The question was asked, "What's keeping me from my first love, Jesus Christ?" Quite simply, what isn't? I'm selfish. I'm tired. I'm busy. I'm sinful.

What am I willing to give up? What am I being called to put down so that I can voluntarily enter the desert wilderness and commune with my Savior?

The Hubby and I have decided to give up Netflix. Sounds silly, but we watch a lot. of. Netflix. In my laziness, I will miss the few hours each evening spent snacking on the couch watching "Mad Men," "Downton Abby," or "Cheers;" however, I cannot wait for some eye contact, game playing, talking, and reading the Word together. We're going to revisit the first study we ever did together, waaaaaaaay back in college when we were "just friends"... Purpose Driven Life.

For the first time ever, it's not about what I'm "giving up." It's about  actively pursuing JESUS.

I'm accepting the invitation to 40 days in the wilderness.

Who knows, I might find that The Hubby is right about more than just how to properly spell "Lent."