Lent - it's not about God or Jesus

Hello world-wide-web, Heavenly Father, bless all eyes that are reading my blog. In Your Name. Amen. Did my title get you thinking? he he Of course Lent is about God and Jesus, but I'm not going to tell you what I'm 'adding' or 'giving up,' or any of that, since I think that's personal and the bible reading today mentions how we should act like nothing is going on with us. I know I paraphrased the bible verse(you don't think I know the gospel, but I do!!!), but you get the idea. I want to tell you about a past Lent. I had the time and desire many years ago to visit a nursing home. My goal was to visit someone three to four times a week for about an hour. I chose a nursing home that wasn't close to my house so I could have time to offer prayers for those I was about to visit. Sometimes I spent the hour with one person, or visited various people who needed a friend. I prayed with them, spoke with them, or read to them. Have you heard the saying, "You may not remember what people say, but you do remember how they made you feel."? Well I will always remember how Mary made me feel. For some reason during one of my visits with her the conversation turned to movies. I asked her what her favorite movie of all time was and she said, "Gone with the Wind." I admitted to her, somewhat sheepishly, that I'd never seen it. "What?! You have to watch it - it's a great movie. I have the tape here; we'll watch it together." "Really? You want to watch it again?" "Sure, I never get tired of it." I hesitated. Could I count this as a visit if we watched a movie? "C'mon," she pleaded, "Look for it over there, by the television. Put it in the VCR. I'm ready to watch it." (Yes, it was a VIDEO!) I did as she said. If you've never watched it, you need to rent it. It's a great film. It took me four days at an hour a day to watch it with her, but it was worth it, and Mary did in fact seem genuinely happy watching it. Except for the pleasantries we shared upon my arrival - where I asked her how she was and mentioned how we didn't need to watch the film if she wanted to chat - we really didn't talk. She didn't want to visit, she wanted to watch. Strange as it may sound, I felt close to Mary in our quiet viewing of the film. I think she felt close to me. That film will always hold a special place in my heart, as will the time I spent with Mary. When Easter arrived, I bought some lillies and took them to the women I'd visited during Lent, thanking them for allowing me to spend time with them. It was after this Lent that I understood what Lent meant. Enjoy your Lenten ride, however bumpy, and remember what awaits you at the end of your trials: a glorious Easter! "I am a little pencil in the hand of a writing God who is sending a love letter to the world." Mother Theresa