A Lenten Idea

    Over the past few months I recognized a deep need inside of myself - a need to connect with God in a more proactive way. I have been living a blah-life. A life that knows God exists but doesn't allow that knowledge to dictate it's movements. I have come to understand and feel the need to practice spiritual disciplines so as to put myself in a posture of hearing and seeing God.


    As Lenten season so quickly approaches I admit that I've only briefly thought about partaking in the practice of Lent this year. But today I decided that it is one of those opportunities to posture myself for receiving from God. How dare I past it up!
    I joked about "Lenting" work... maybe show up but not do anything? Ha! I also thought maybe it'd be interesting to "Lent" talking. Heehee... what a silly idea.
    Then, this afternoon at work, out of the blue to him, I asked a friend "What if I Lented shoes?"
    He said, "What?"
    I repeated, "What if I Lented shoes?"
    He looked quizzical, "Do you mean lend you shoes to someone else?"
    Hahahaha! Oh Daren! "No, I mean Lent, like the season. Like fast my shoes."
    "OH! Hmm..."
    And that's my idea. What if I fasted shoes?
    In Exodus 3, Moses incounters God through the burning bush. The first statement, request really, that God makes to Moses is that he take his shoes off and recognize that the place he is in is holy. Exodus 3:1-6 says,

"I Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. The angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn't burn up.
  Moses said, "What's going on here? I can't believe this! Amazing! Why doesn't the bush burn up?"
  God saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, "Moses! Moses!"
   He said, "Yes? I'm right here!"
 God said, "Don't come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You're standing on holy ground."
 Then he said, "I am the God of your father: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob."
   Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God.

    As a sign of my readiness to recieve from God - What if I fasted my shoes? What if I also fasted my shoes as a reminder to myself that wherever I go I must be intentional about recognizing God in that place and make that place holy through my actions and posturing. And what if I fasted my shoes for the purpose of experiencing just a glimpse of the pain my Savior felt as He carried a cross up a hill with anticipation of a death worthy enough to pay for the sins of many?

Yeah... what if I Lented my shoes? (and hey, while I'm at it, if you'd like to borrow my shoes... why not!)