Let's Get Real

By Jobi Harrell
Since the beginning of Lent, I have sporadically posted on this Blog a variety of ways for families with young children to incorporate this season into their daily lives.

Well, I’ll come clean: through this year’s Lenten journey I personally have not done any of these “little ideas” that I have cut and pasted on this Blog. By virtue of my position I have made Lenten crafts, I have worn lots of purple, and spent time feeling all sorts of up and down. But, at home –well, that’s another story.

Our family prays, we read Bible stories, we are trying our best to raise our child with a solid foundation; and we could do more. Our family did read Gail Gibbon's Easter one time. The book yields twenty-some pages about Jesus and one page about the Easter Bunny. Anyone could guess: my two-year-old daughter is madly in love with the Easter Bunny. Her initial response: “No Jesus, Mommy. Just the Easter Bunny.” Several conversations these past few weeks have yielded to some progress. We’ve at the very least determined that Jesus and the Easter Bunny are friends. (I suspect that our tacky spill-proof vinyl tablecloth with Bunnies might have something to do with this fascination…but I’m not so sure that I want to go on a hunt for a spill-proof Jesus tablecloth.)

We do pray as a family. We do read books about Easter, but since February 25th I have no by means become the Poster Mom of Lent. Most of that has to do with the realities of life. This year, my own Lenten journey has yielded so much –as it does every year. Each year I set out with specific goals –areas that I want to work on. For me, the beauty in Lent is that each year I ultimately wind up working on what it is God wants me to work on.

So, I thought I’d put it out there...
Let’s open this Blog up for comments.
What is it that you are working on? What is it that God is working on with you?