I made this fella and a bunch of his mates because I was struggling without any sweetness in my life. You see, I gave up chocolate for lent. Usually I don’t go a day without chocolate, so this new endeavour (now just a day shy of being a MONTH!) has kicked me for a bit of a loop!
There has been a part of me that felt like I was cheating by having Gingerbread men. After all, if I were at an addicts meeting, they’d probably just tell me that I was swapping one addiction for another. There has been an even bigger part of me, however, that felt that this was a silly exercise all together. That “Capital “R” Reformed” part of me that says that occasions like lent are purely for Catholics & I ought not be involved in an activity that appears to promote the role of works in my salvation!

I’d say now that I need to repent for that mindset.

I was chatting to my boss when I first thought about the whole exercise & she challenged me to look at things again…

Are there things that are in my life that actually create some kind of barrier between me & God? Are there things that I have a greater sense of loyalty to than God? I have to say that I was probably more consistent over the passage of a year eating chocolate than I am reading my Bible! The boss challenged me that maybe lent isn’t a time for “Showing God that I can suffer too,” but rather, a chance to try & break down some of those barriers.

Is there time eating chocolate (or fast food, the other one to go) that might be spent in prayer or contemplation? Or maybe can I just gain some balance in my life again. Remember what things in my life are the rare pleasures & what aspects are really supposed to be part of my every day?

So my little ginger friend gets to stay. He reminds me that I’m not chasing after a physical proof of some kind of extra-human commitment… and he certainly helps cure the craving!