the season of Lent

in the Christian calendar, this past Wednesday (March 1st), began the season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. like Advent, Lent is a 40-day season of preparation & reflectivity. i enjoy these two seasons immensely. i love the way they make me think & reflect. i love that Lent is reminder of our own sinful mortality, "a slow steady walk to the mystery of the cross" (as my daily Lenten devotion called it).

i think something else i love about these 2 seasons is that really they share more than just the 40 days in length. at first glance, they seem to have completely opposite moods but in reality, the moods are so similar. it's as easy to see the joy of Christmas coming over the weeks of Advent as it is to feel the somber mood of Lent. but there are serious undertones to Advent as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, as we remember *why* this little baby was born in the first place. and despite the mourning of that same baby's death on Good Friday, it doesn't stop there because we look forward to the celebration of Easter & the Resurrection.

i don't know what it is but Advent & Lent exhilirate me. not in an obvious way but more deep inside my soul. i know what these seasons mean to me as a Christian and i look forward to them every year as a time to turn my attention inward to reflect & refocus.