The Lentiest Lent that I ever did Lent

I don't know who originally came up with this but I know I thought it many many times during this journey.  We are already on the second Sunday of Easter but I couldn't help but reflect on what will go down in history as one of the most memorable Lents that ever Lented. 

No sooner had I decided that this Lent I will get out more and volunteer and give up my alone time as a sacrifice to God then God says, "Yeah, but no.  I have a different plan.  I want you to stay home with your family." "Um...okay? Thanks?"

At first I have to admit I was optimistic (this will only last a couple weeks, right?) and hopeful but that quickly turned to frustration and anger (school and church are canceled for the entire month of April and now we might not even go back to school till fall?!?)  But surprisingly it has never once turned to fear.  I am not a super faith giant or anything but fear doesn't envelop me.  Sure, I get a little anxious but mostly because of my own fault not because of the actions of others.  I have complete faith that God will give me what I need ever day- not more, not less.  Covid-19/Cornavirus? Yes, any one in my family could technically get it.  Just because I have faith doesn't mean I or someone in my family couldn't get sick.  I am not naive.  But I trust in the promises of my Savior- He will take care of me HOWEVER that looks.  Also I don't watch or read the news much- I know just enough to be informed- any more and I think I enter into a world where I can not tell truth from fiction any more.  I cease to feel objective so God gives me just the knowledge I need. 

I was frustrated and angry, though,- a handful of time....not gonna lie.  I was partially frustrated about school for my girls.  Especially because we had some choir performances and a couple field trips and because I have learned to love the school environment and getting to volunteer.  Anger has set in because now I feel the burden of scheduling my brood of....to put it nicely....energy challenged, lethargic and languorous children...to form some semblance of productivity.  Not to mention how do we do church at home?  This last one ended up being a lot harder than I thought. 

In this post I will attempt to spill out my feelings and process what happened to Lent 2020 because like Ross from Friends said in "The One with All the Resolutions"...."This year was suppose to be great!"

When last I blogged I quoted Simone Biles "Stay healthy...." and may the peace of the Lord be with you.  This was nearly too prophetic as now all I see are people in masks (trying to stay healthy and keep others healthy) and trying to find a way to be at peace during this order to Stay At Home as far as it is possible.  I had ended on such a positive outlook and little did I know what would happen in the next month. 

Before everything was cancelled I had gotten into a good rhythm of praying and journaling during lunch.  I had an amazing note that was sent to me from my Secret Sister as well which turned out to be the best #Handwritten picture I could hope for.

"I use to equate my personal worthiness with employment, and it took me feeling empty, over and over again, to understand that's not where the real work lies." -Constance Wu, Actress

I was also getting much better and keeping productive and using my time wisely- or so I thought.  I was volunteering at the school every Tuesday and Thursday.  Hermione had a band concert which we happily and joyfully supported, not knowing that this would be the last school event for the school year.

"No act of virtue can be great if it is not followed by advantage for others.  So, no matter how much time you spend fasting, no matter how much you sleep on a hard floor and eat ashes and sigh continually, if you do no good to others, you do nothing great."  -St. John of Chrysostom

We were all living in this blissful world where we were getting ready to go to Seaside for the annual enrichment conference.  It is a vacation for the whole family.  It would also end up being the last time we would be able to be in a large group/gathering (as of April 18th we still have not had a church service which would be over a month ago now).  

On Friday, I got some fish sticks and more beans and rice.  I even grabbed toilet paper- but not in a hoarding way just a regular large pack of toilet paper because we needed toilet paper- simple as that.  As soon as we head home, I thank God that I bought this as I find out people be cray-cray about getting toilet paper.  It never would have occurred to me that THAT would be the thing to have during a pandemic.  

"Good food is very often, even most often, simple food." -Anthony Bourdain

On Saturday, March 7, I am pretty sure I spent the day doing laundry as most weekends before a trip I tend to do.  I didn't take a #Familytime picture because staying home and doing laundry is a boring way to spend the weekend.  I wanted to save that for our trip.

"One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world." -Malala Yousafzai

We get to Seaside on Sunday afternoon and it was beautiful weather.  I took a couple pictures of the family in the car and a couple days later when we got to go get treats and ice cream.

This was one of the best sessions ever.