What I've learned from Lent

This year my co-worker asked me to give up something for lent. Since I grew up without a religious background or pathway, I had no idea what Lent was, much less what it required, how long it was, etc. But just like most unknown things, I agreed. Because why not?
After agreeing, my co-worker asked me what I would give up. I asked if it could be anything, and she said I needed to pick something that I wanted to get rid of from my life that would better myself in some way.

This is what I learned from my first Lent:

1. Picking something to give up is hard
Being a woman in my early twenties, my first thought was the current boy drama going on in my life. But would I be able to justify to God that all I really wanted to give up for Lent was a guy? After coming to the conclusion that it wouldn't fly with Him, I looked around. I was well dressed, but there was no way I was going to give up shopping. I had just splurged on lunch; again, not something I would ever give up. I had a Starbucks coffee cup in my hand. ... While I knew how each daily cup was about six bucks to me... did I really want to give up coffee in my final semester of college? I guess I did. I went back to my co-worker. Coffee it was.

My love and my object to give up: Coffee.

2. It's not about the object, but rather the substitutions.
The first week was a tad bit difficult. I had two exams and a paper due, and no coffee to keep my body in check in the early 8 am classes. I was also going through slight withdrawal from the coffee each day and I could tell my body was not okay with my decision. What I started to notice was the different beverages my body started craving in substitution to coffee. One morning I woke up and decided to have a Dr. Pepper for breakfast. While it gave me the caffeine my body was craving and was a lot cheaper than a cup of Joe, I had never had soda for breakfast before, and it didn't sit well with my subconscious. The next week I had three exams and 3 quizzes; all on Thursday. Well, sure enough, I woke up and started craving red bull and soda, all things I knew I shouldn't drink but did because coffee wasn't an option.

Received from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/seamus_walsh/6966321726

I was also noticing that depending on how much work or effort I knew I was going to have to put in that day, my morning beverage cravings matched. If I didn't think there was much to do in class except take notes and listen, I didn't even crave caffeine by the second week. Tuesdays and Thursdays, my longest days of the week, ended up being the days I woke up with cravings. I was starting to wonder if my cravings weren't really necessary at all.

3. Giving up something can be mind-opening
Giving up coffee opened my eyes to the fact that while coffee was expensive and not really healthy for me, I was still doing better than I could have been. I could be addicted to my morning can of cranberry Red Bull, I was instead getting the smallest cup of soy latte to just boost my morning. Instead of craving coffee and increasing my daily amount each week, I was limiting it to just two cups a week; a total of less than $10 a week, on a splurged beverage. I also discovered that Starbucks wasn't my only option. There are so many tea and coffee shops in town, and I was picking the one with the most expensive cups.

My new favorite beverage: tea, from Scented Leaf in Tucson, Arizona

I also learned, following a Thursday in which I had a 50 page paper due and drank 8 Red Bulls in 24 hours, that I was headed down a destructive path of substitution. Not only did I not feel well but I was tired and buzzing on ATP my body wasn't even producing anymore. My brain was useless, I was cranky, and my sugar levels were so low I thought I was going to pass out. I had a brief moment where I thought; there is no way Lent was meant for this.

4. You discover the true meaning of Lent without a sermon
It was in that moment that I realized that my substitutions were creating a monster that wasn't even there to begin with. Giving up coffee for Lent was supposed to decrease my bank account spending, allow my body to recharge from caffeine, and let me feel empowered for giving up something I cared about to Him. But I wasn't really doing that. I became a slave to caffeine instead. I didn't need a sermon or a hot crowded church to tell me that. I had myself and I became awakened from within. Why would I want to give up something to help myself, and then substitute all these things which do more damage to my body anyway? I couldn't imagine that that was what Lent was for. It had to be able bettering yourself through these changes and allowing yourself to give up something to better those around you as well, like Jesus did when he gave his life. I needed to find myself and my energy again, in a healthy way.

This may not be the most flattering of photos, but I am enjoying myself and have the energy to do so.

5.  You can always adapt
Though I don't plan on drinking coffee until Easter, I think it is beneficial to myself and my body to stop drinking all these nasty substitutions. I believe that trying juice and a bagel to wake myself up more naturally is definitely better than using a substitution even more harmful to myself than coffee. By adapting, I can gain back the energy I lost and be able to go out with my friends instead of crashing, or go rock climbing again, where before I had no energy to do so.

Giving up something isn't always easy, but it does help you discover more about yourself.

So here I am, 9:30 am with a huge bottle of water and an empty juice bottle in the waste basket. Awake and oriented x3. A changed woman. Thanks to a co-worker's query and Lent.

xoxo
Britt