40-40-40

I've been thinking about "40" for the last several months. I turned 38 this week, which is just a stone's throw from 40, and I find myself super excited about it. Crazy, right?! But I'm so excited about spending the next two years becoming the kind of person I want to be on my 40th birthday.

With that number 40 on my mind, it flows naturally into thoughts on Lent.

The season of Lent -- the 40+ days leading up to Easter -- has made a HUGE impact on my life.

In 2013, for the first time ever really participating in this part of the liturgical calendar, I felt God nudging me to read the ENTIRE Bible in 40 days. I didn't quite make it, needing another month or so to finish my reading (let's face it: Numbers and Chronicles are HARD to get through!), but I didn't give up. I remained faithful to the finish. And met God along the way.

In 2014, God again called me to something grand: walking across Spain. Again, I didn't quite make it in 40 days, needing several more weeks to finish my Camino (let's face it: walking across a country is HARD!), but I didn't give up. I remained faithful to the finish. And met my husband along the way.

The next few years were more quiet, more private, less dramatic and flowing more organically into my regular routine rather than a set-apart 40+ days. Living intentionally. Loving intentionally. Clinging to the hem of God's skirts while desperately trying to trust Him to provide, protect, preserve.

As I reflected on the fact that I haven't asked God to do something "big" (something "fierce"?) through me during Lent for a while, I invited Him into this season with me. And soon felt a nudge toward that special something.

And it all has to do with the number 40.

During each of the 40 days of Lent (using Sundays as a Sabbath/rest day), I feel God calling me to learn about a new ministry -- an individual or organization that does good in the world -- each day. But not just learning about it. Learning AND supporting.

Spending 40 days, learning about 40 different ministries, and donating $40 each day.

40-40-40

Which normally wouldn't be a FIERCE act of faith. Except that Randy and I have been working as VOLUNTEERS for the past 15 months, rather than building up our savings account. And is why, when I told Randy what I felt God calling me to do, Randy's response was, "God sure is generous with your money." Which served as a perfect reminder that it isn't my money or our money, it is God's money and we are called to hold it loosely, so that we don't end up like the rich young ruler who missed out on God's plan for his life because he wouldn't sell off everything he owned, resulting in Jesus saying, "It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." Wouldn't you rather enter the kingdom poor than not at all?

Is God calling you to give up or take on something for Lent? Please share!

I'll be sharing my journey here, with information about the ministries I'm supporting, and invite you to prayerfully consider if God is calling you to learn more about or to support one of these ministries as well.

If everyone reading this just picked one ministry to focus on, and invited their friends to learn more who then invited their friends to learn more who then invited their friends to learn more, it would make a huge difference, a ripple of goodness in a world that needs us to be the hands and feet of Jesus, meeting needs wherever we are.

But I'm challenging you! Don't just share. Give too. Let's see how much good we can do.

(This year Lent comes early. Kicking off on February 14, and ending with Easter on April 1. Join me back here on Valentine's Day for our first ministry focus!)