Lent Check-In: Preparing Your Heart for Easter

There are a few times a year where I feel a sense of renewal. When we ring in a new year, I typically get that spark of making resolutions or setting intent for the months ahead. When the school year starts and I drop my kids off on that first day filled with excitement and nerves not knowing exactly what this grade will bring for each of them.

The Easter season always fills me with the greatest feeling of renewal. Think about it. Jesus died for our sins. The ultimate sacrifice. Jesus was then resurrected from the dead. Knowing this as the truth fills me with such hope, love and confidence; I cannot help but feel renewed.

Right about this time each year, I check in with myself on how the season of Lent is going. Lent is a period of preparation for Easter. A time to think about the 40 days of fasting Jesus took in the desert. The sacrifices he made that ultimately led to the celebration of Easter and Jesus rising from the dead.

Luke 24:6-7: “He is not here; he has risen!”

It’s common for those who follow Christ to give something up for Lent. Giving up Starbucks or taking a break from social media are in no way the same sacrifices Jesus made for us. But it does help to remind us daily about the love that He has for us and that we have eternal life because of Him.

When I check in with myself throughout Lent, it looks different based on what my goals, intent and/or sacrifice is for that particular season. Some years, I have given up meat so my check in could be how my body feels and connecting that to a reminder that Jesus fasted for 40 days.

A small sacrifice like giving up meat isn’t all I do to prepare for the Easter season. Recognizing Lent in this way is not something that I think must be done. It is something I have done most of my life and I love traditions like that.

This year, in addition to giving up a small something to help myself feel that connection, I committed to putting a focus around the meaning of why this is a special time of year. I think sometimes we can get caught in the fun and it can distract us from the true meaning. Christmas is an obvious great example. We get caught up in things like presents and it can change the shift of what the season is really about. I recall in elementary school, whatever you gave up for the season became like your entire personality for those 40 days. It still helped us as kids find connection to the meaning of what it was actually about but only when we stopped to think about it or when our teachers or parents stopped us to reflect.

As an adult, I still enjoy fun pieces that come along with the seasons, but I find that feeling the connection to the season is actually what feels best. I still love dying eggs and coordinating hunts. But what I love most is making the connection that the eggs represent the empty tomb and the new life and renewal inside.

I prepare by remembering it lives in us as believers of Christ. The check-ins remind me to reflect on how I am connecting with the hope that He brings every day. The feeling of renewal; even the days when I feel broken.

Those are the ways I prepare my heart for Easter.

Romans 10:9: “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Wherever you are at right now, remember Easter is a time of celebration and right now is a time to prepare for that. Check in with yourself and how you are getting ready for the excitement that the day truly will bring.