Giving up to get more

This Wednesday is the beginning of Lent.  The next 40 days will be spent preparing our hearts and minds to remember the death and resurrection of Christ.  Different denominations mark the time of preparation differently, many observing a fast of some sort.  Like last year, Cale and I are giving up beverages other then water to participate in Forty Days of Water. This is a challenge I both look forward to and dread.  It's such a simple way to get outside myself and wipe some of the accumulated sleep from my eyes to the world around me.  But more importantly it's an opportunity to open myself up to more of Him.  I'm ashamed to admit how hard it was some days last year.  The hard days were used to draw me closer to Him as I denied myself of such a simple luxury.  Can't have an Iced Capp or some milk or tea?  Well, at least I've got an abundance of clean water.  That's more then many can say.  And I need to be reminded of that. 

There are other areas of life that I've felt the Lord leading me to give up.  I feel like the next 40 plus days are going to be a time of purging, getting rid of some junk I've picked up.  I need to give up some things so I have room for more...of Him and the life He has for me.  There's nothing this world offers that I need more of...not more stuff or technology or ideas or words or money.  I need Him and all that He offers to give, which, coincidentally, is everything that I need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3).


His grace...love...peace...joy...hope...perspective...heart... knowledge...wisdom...power...truth...I'll gladly give up anything to make room for more of these in my life.