Friends of ours informed us that they intend to engage in a period of prayer and fasting the week prior to Annabelle's delivery.
The concept is basically the same as the 40 days prior to Easter called "Lent". Take something that is a part of your life and give it up for forty days. Usually people give up dietary things such as sugar, alcohol, caffeine or meat although people also give up activities as well.
Since Easter usually falls right about the time that the wheels are coming off people's New-Year's Resolution wagons, Lent is often used as an opportunity to renew resolutions, give up bad habits etc.
The idea of Lent generally and a time of prayer and fasting in particular is that whenever you feel the temptation to do the thing you have given up, you use that temptation to call yourself to prayer. You are substituting one habit for another.
I have never really observed Lent although I have observed shorter periods of prayer and fasting (count them on one hand). I suppose it is because in my spiritual obtuseness I never felt like I had anything I wanted to pray that hard over.
Well, it's got me thinking. Yesterday was something of a milestone - exactly one month to Annabelle's birthday. Goodness knows I have things I my life I probably should give up - if not for a month, maybe for good.
Maybe it's time for a summer version of Lent . . .
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