Two things...

Wave upon wave of nausea and dizziness upon standing has kept me supine most of the day.  Even knowing that, whilst waiting on Amos and observing what the receding snow pack was revealing, I thought to remedy the situation.  Bending over ... repeatedly ... to pick up "deposits" resulted in fainting and awaking faced planted in a pile of them.  SIGH.  This has not been a good day.

However, I have been thinking about two things:

• Marie gave me the best explanation of why giving up something for Lent could be good.  It is not about discipline, as so often I have heard.  Nor is it about doing something for God, serving him.  It is also not about demonstrating the level of your commitment to a relationship with God.  Giving up something for Lent is about our constant struggle with sin, about our need for Jesus, about forgiveness given to us ... freely and without merit.  The battle to refrain from drinking coffee, eating chocolate, watching television, etc. is the point.  We battle sin each and every day.  And we fail.  But Jesus did not.  He is our victory.  So, there is no glorious, godly discipline being built by giving up something for Lent.  There is only a sobering reminder of our need for Jesus and what He has done for us.  Then.  Today.  Tomorrow.
• The definition of sin that I learned as an evangelical being separation from God has been bothering me because, whilst saved,  I still sin.  So, I worry that I am separating myself from God ... or at least the knowledge of my utter inability to refrain from sinning combined with my utter inability to make myself more godly, more holy, more faithful terrifies me.  That severing is ever present.  So Becky came up with another way to look at sin.  The relationship between us and God is like a knitted blanket, protecting us from the raging wind, rain, sleet, hail, and snow that sin hurls agaisnt us.  At the fall, Adam and Eve damaged the blanket, rendering it an ineffective cover.  With His birth, life, death, and resurrection, Jesus knit the blanket back together again.  So, no matter how much we damage the blanket with the sin in our life, Jesus knits it back together, to cover us, to protect us, to save us.  Whilst the metaphor might have holes in it, it does call to mind that sweet, sweet promise about our High Priest: Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. (Hebrews 7:25)  Christ's re-knitting is unceasing. And, when He comes again, there will be a new blanket, a whole blanket, one whole and without rips and tears.

Lord, I believe.  Help my unbelief!