Actively Participating in Lent

The season of Lent is once again upon us. Ash Wednesday was March 1. Churches across the world began preparations for the coming celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, Easter Sunday. Not everyone participates in Lent, and that’s perfectly okay. It’s a personal decision, and as with most personal decisions, it isn’t one that should be taken lightly. It should require some thought and prayer.

If after thinking and praying about it, you decide to participate in Lent, look upon it as an opportunity to grow closer to God, not as a chore to complete. If you approach Lent as a chore, that defeats the purpose. While we should in actuality spend every day reflecting and spending time with God, the season of Lent gives us a focused opportunity to do just that.

For this season of Lent, I have decided to make sure to devote a minimum of thirty minutes to my treadmill every day. My problem has been that I keep finding excuses (sometimes they’re really good ones) to avoid the treadmill. I know I need to be on that treadmill, and my theory is that if I devote time to the treadmill during Lent, I will feel much guiltier about skipping it than I normally would. Thus, for the next forty days, I should get in some time on the treadmill.

While I use the treadmill, I read. There’s a perfect little spot on the treadmill for my Kindle to sit. This has proven to be an excellent opportunity to get in some reading. To make my treadmill Lent experience more focused on growing closer to God, I’m going to also use this time as additional Bible study time. My focus is going to be the book of Romans.

I’m not really sure why I chose the book of Romans, but that’s the book I chose. During my time on the treadmill, I will read – and study – the book of Romans. I also have a study guide on the Kindle that’s devoted to the book of Romans. There are sixteen chapters in Romans, and while there are forty days of Lent, I hope I can get through all sixteen chapters. I really have no idea how long it will take. The first night, I read the introduction to the chapter twice. I really do want to do this study slowly, rather than rush through it. I feel like rushing will defeat the purpose.

It has been quite some time since I’ve written a blog, and there’s a variety of reasons for that (some good, some not so good). So, in addition to devoting thirty minutes to the treadmill where I will spend time studying the book of Romans, I’m also going to try to get back to a more regular schedule of blogging. As I find something in my Bible study that I think is relevant to others, I plan to write a blog about that and then post it. This may not happen every day, but surely once or twice a week I’ll have something to write about.

And there you have it, my take on Lent 2017. It may seem a little complex. After all, it’s much easier to simply say, “I’ll give up chocolate.” However, I’ve done the “I’ll give up [insert item]” for several years. This year, I wanted to actively come up with something that would require me to be more God-focused. After years of the “I’ll give up [insert item],” I just felt like I needed something more this year. And so, for the next forty days, for thirty minutes a day, you’ll find me on the treadmill immersed in the book of Romans, and hopefully, I’ll have some messages to share with you during that time as well.

Rediscovering the Treadmill

Joseph Addison once said, “Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.” I love to read, and I believe I have a pretty good mind. I hate to exercise, and I know I have a pretty weak body. I know the solution to the problem, so why do I have so much trouble making it happen?

I have a treadmill. I have actually discovered that when I can get myself motivated to walk on that treadmill, when it’s all over, I have actually enjoyed the activity. I also feel better afterwards. I know that using the treadmill is a key component in my attempt to lose 25 pounds this year.  Since I know all of this, and since I had gotten off to a pretty good start with the treadmill, why am I now in mid-April having a horrific time trying to motivate myself to get on that treadmill?

I actually have a Kindle that will sit on the treadmill and allow me to read while I walk. I love it. I get a lot of reading done while on the treadmill, and reading is one of my all-time favorite things to do. So, why am I not taking full advantage of this free reading time? I had a system set up where I’d come home from work, change clothes, and get on the treadmill. That hasn’t worked out this month. I come home from work, change clothes, and do all sorts of things other than get on the treadmill. I’ve been reading the assigned AP project books. I’ve been reading English 200 essays for conferencing. I’ve been finishing up lesson plans for the remainder of the year. I’ve been doing laundry and cooking and cleaning up the kitchen. I’ve been taking naps. I’ve been browsing Facebook, Pinterest, and news sites. And, probably worst of all, I’ve been eating more than I should, especially since the one thing I’ve not been doing is getting on the treadmill.

I’ve no idea why this particular lull has hit right now, even though most of the reasons have been pretty good ones. After all, I did have to read those essays in order to conference, and I do have to reread all those AP books so the students can’t slip something by me. But I need to pull myself out of this exercise funk. I must get going again. I still have nearly all of that 25 pounds to lose, and with only 8 1/2 months left to do so, I’ve got to lose an average of just over three pounds per month. That’s still entirely possible for April, but I’ll have to do better than I’m doing now.

Therefore, I resolve that beginning Saturday morning, I will once again visit the treadmill. I will get up and walk before we keep our appointments for haircuts. Sunday morning, I will get up and walk before heading to church. Monday afternoon when I get home from work, I will get back into the change-clothes-and-get-on-the-treadmill routine. In addition to walking again, I will do a better job of monitoring my food intake, and I hope to add some toning exercises to the mix.

I may need a cheerleader from time to time. I may need somebody to ask me if I used the treadmill. I may just need someone to hold me accountable. But more than anything, I need to get in the right frame of mind and stick to my plan. It’s time for my treadmill and me to become BFFs once again.