“What are you doing for Lent?” Catholics are fond of asking each other at that time of year. Contrary to popular belief, Lent for us isn’t just about going without chocolate or wine. It’s about behavior modification to better honor God. And, after six weeks (whether or not you “do” Sundays), hopefully, what were once sacrifices have become habits.
In 2010, my answer, guaranteed to get a laugh, was: “I’m giving up thinking for Lent.” There was some truth to it, however; I tend to be a bit overly introspective, and between the day job, writing and editing, seeing friends, and other obligations, my life in the spring was such that I didn’t have time for that indulgence or much of anything else.
Advent’s different. During Advent, Christians wait. Oh, we shop and eat and drink and party, sometimes too much, just like anyone else. But those spare five or ten minutes at night or in the morning when many of us contemplate the coming of Christ… ah! They’re beautiful.
In some ways, my life hasn’t changed much since Lent. The day job’s still crazy, crazy good, but crazy. I’m discerning next steps with Novel A after my agent turned it down and working on Novel B. I’m overbooked with friends. I owe another publisher a nonfiction book proposal. There’s a guy at CatholicMatch.com who looks interesting, but I wonder how I’d shoehorn a relationship into this life right now anyway.
But somehow, that’s all right with me for now. And I think part of the reason is that truly, I made some progress during Lent about thinking less… and simply being.
And so, I wait. For the right man. For the right publisher for my novel. And for an even greater presence of Christ in my life.
