Letting Go & Taking Up
As we step into the season of Lent, we enter a sacred period of reflection and renewal. Traditionally, Lent is a forty-day journey leading up to Easter, mirroring Jesus’ time in the wilderness—a time of fasting, prayer, and discernment. For centuries, Christians have observed this season by engaging in practices of self-denial, often giving up something they enjoy as a symbolic way of drawing closer to God.
For many, this means refraining from things like chocolate, coffee, or social media. Others choose a different approach—not by giving something up, but by taking something up. They might commit to a daily gratitude practice, engage in acts of kindness, or set aside intentional time for prayer and reflection. The heart of Lent is not about rigid rule-following or proving devotion through sacrifice; rather, it is an opportunity to examine our lives and ask: What truly matters? Where do I feel most connected to God? What habits or distractions keep me from living with love, peace, and purpose?
This is not a season about striving for perfection. If we look at the creation story in Genesis, God declared that the world was “good”—not perfect, but good. And that is what we are invited into: not perfection, but a deeper awareness of our own goodness and our place in God’s loving work in the world.
Lent is cyclical, returning year after year because we are forgetful people. We lose sight of who we are and what is most important. Life becomes cluttered with busyness, distractions, and even harmful patterns. Lent offers a chance to pause, reset, and refocus. It is a time to let go of what no longer serves us and to take up practices that foster transformation.
Perhaps this year, you might choose a practice that invites you into greater awareness—whether that’s fasting from something that dulls your spirit or taking up something that enlivens it. Maybe it’s stepping away from negativity, from unkind words, from the need to be right all the time. Maybe it’s stepping toward acts of compassion, moments of silence, or an intentional slowing down to notice the sacred in the ordinary.
Whatever path you choose, remember this: You are already infinitely precious and unconditionally loved. Lent is not about earning God’s love—it is about remembering it. It is about clearing space in our lives so that love can be lived more fully. So, I invite you into these forty days as a time of gentle transformation, a season of remembering who you are and who you are becoming.
Infinitely Precious 