Not just another Friday

So it's Good Friday, or as I've learned recently, Holy Friday/God Friday. That's what they called it years ago. Up until this year....even though I knew what happen on this day....it's kinda been just another Friday. I know,  that sounds awful and so very disrespectful. It's not that I didn't appreciate what happen all those years ago on this day. I think it was just that I'd heard this story since birth  and I had just gotten used to it. Ya know what I mean? How terrible is that? I'd been churched into a state of complacency and routine.

This year however, has been a horse donkey of a different color. This year has been intentional. I've walked through this Lenten season on purpose. Which by the way is a huge change for me since I was  raised Southern Baptist and didn't know a thing about Lent until this year. Anyway, thanks to Ann Voskamp (who is such a humble servant of God), I started my journey of researching and diving head first into communing with God through the sacrificing process that is Lent.

It has been such a time of growth for me. When I got all the "stuff" out of the way....stuff that I didn't even realize was in the way....I got one and One with God. I had given up all my distractions so all I had was time. I gave that time to God and boy did He use it. He took every second I gave Him and multiplied it and magnified it. My time had never been put to better use, and it was all because of Him.

When I started this process, I was thinking ok, well, let me pick my one thing and get this show on the road. Well, the more I read and prayed, the more I realized it wasn't about the thing I was giving up, it was the reasoning....the meaning behind it. Was this something that was easy to give up or was there true sacrifice behind it.

So I started with coffee. I know, I know you all are saying GASP!! Well, before you start patting me on the back for my humble sacrifice read on.  This so wasn't a real sacrifice.  I wasn't giving it up for God. I decided to give it up because it had developed a love/hate relationship with my stomach. So, Week 1 of Lent....fail! I'm so selfish! 

Moving on....

God of course said, "Really Tracey? Like I can't see right through that...let's get real here." Soooo, after feeling like I'd slapped God in the face I got real.

I started with sugar.

I felt God telling me to that I needed to get my "temple" in order. After all my body is a His temple and honestly I've not been taking the best care of it lately. I'm talking, coffee for breakfast, a coke for lunch, not eating till supper,  no water intake, no exercise, exhausted all the time.

Ok, so I'm sure you're saying... "Oh, well know she's turning Lent into a weight loss program!" And before, I would have said the same thing.

I'm gonna get really honest here....When I saw Lysa TerKeurst's  book "Made to Crave" I thought, "Come on, really, a Jesus Diet Book, what part of that is about God, it's just another self help book, to take people's money that want to lose weight."

I've  never read the book and I LOVE Lysa, but for some reason, that was my first reaction whe I saw  her book. I know, how ugly of me. But, I say all that to say this....God showed me that it IS important to Him, because how in the world am I going to be able to serve in His kingdom effectively if I'm worn out and unhealthy all the time. He showed me that my body is a gift from Him, it's His creation, and just as He calls for us to take care of His creation named Earth, He calls me to take care of His creation named Tracey.

 So after crossing that  hurdle, I dug even deeper. I started looking for the things that stood in the way of my time with the Lord. And low and behold what did I find.....my computer, FB, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Blogs, Blogs, and more Blogs! So it was goodbye social media. (hence my falling off the map for about a month)

 In the midst of my decision to forgo social media, some things changed for my little family (too much to write about in this post) and we ended up with no TV. I guess God knew that I'd turn to TV if I didn't have my other drugs of choice. :)

So for the past month, I've spent my time (that I would have normally wasted) in the Word. I've walked with Jesus on the roads that led him to Golgotha.  I've spent my time in prayer. I've spent it in communion with my Savior. I've spent it reading wise words from authors that are led by God. I've enjoyed it....this slowing down...this quiet....this living with purpose, on purpose....this having time to let what I read soak in....having time to understand....to hear God.

All of this led me to today.

Today, that will never again be....just another Friday.

Stumbling Along,
Following Jesus,

Tracey
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