In order to bring my human nature into more discipline, one Lent I gave up yelling at bad drivers. There are plenty of them here in LA, and the sacrifice was very real.
One Lent the Lord had me make a list of all the people I currently hated — (deep in my little black heart, of course, not in active and aggressive hostility). I narrowed it down to 5 or so, but prayed for them every day. A month or so after Easter, our parish had a church picnic. One of the ‘people I hated’ was there. I went up to her and mentioned, casually, that I had been praying for her. She said, “Oh, thank you! and do keep on.’ She had been having a really hard Spring, and especially had been convicted about her rude mouth (which had precipitated her being on my list in the first place).
It was a very moving challenge the Lord had given me.
It was a very moving challenge the Lord had given me.Every year Lent reminds me, again and again, how truly Blessed we are, how very much He gives us and how often I let Him down.