Lent Lessons Learned

This last Lent I decided on a sugar fast. (No, I'm not a member of a religious organization that observes Lent, but I think it's a good idea, so...what the heck.)

In my extremely limited knowledge of the observations and practices of other religions, I presumed that fasting for Lent is analogous to the fast that Jesus is recording as having gone on. If Jesus could go on a complete fast for 40 days, I could easily give up something as insignificant as sugar for 40 days. Besides, I was going to give up sugar around that time, anyway, so why not call it a Lent observation?

So sugar became a thing of the past for a little while. As time passed, the most difficult thing to overcome was the automatic reaching for sweet things as I passed them. I was quite proud of how I was doing until one day I realized in the late afternoon that I totally unconsciously grabbed a handful of mints from the restaurant I went to and crunched them down without a thought. I was quite annoyed with myself. But now, in hindsight, I realize it was in perfect similitude of reality. No matter how good I think I'll do, no matter how much effort I put into being like Him, I will always fall short. No, this isn't an excuse for not trying - quite the opposite. It's a measure of the level of condescension He and His Father underwent and undergoes for us. Lowly, lowly us. Good for us. VERY good for us.