Lent lessons

Just like I did last year, I gave up junk food (junk food being any food that you can get home delivered or acquire via drive-through) for the season of Lent.

As someone who workers with youth and has an erratic schedule, this cut out a sizable portion of my food pyramid.

And, the last 40+ days have had an affect.

For starters, I've somewhat noticeably lost weight... Somewhere around two inches off my waist.

But, for the first time, I also actually realized the positive element of giving up something for Lent.

For, every time I'd drive past the local KFC in the afternoon, I'd be forced to stop at the nearby traffic lights.

And there I could smell the grease-covered-finger-licking-goodness.

Then I'd want it. Bad.

Or I'd crave some junk food on the drive home, fondly recalling its heart-clogging-tastiness.

Then I'd want it. Bad.

And herein lay my challenge over Lent.

Do I crave God as much as I craved junk food?
If I "gave up God" for 40 days, would I miss it as much as I did junk food?
Would I be as stirred by my absence of God as I was whenever I saw an ad, or my nostrils caught a whiff, for junk food?