Last year Lent went really well. The boys are getting older and can understand things a lot more. They also want to do things on their own. I really want to make sure we build on what we did last year. Noah is going to be receiving his First Communion after Easter, so this is a really good time for him to look at the sacrifice Jesus made and what sacrifices and other things he can do for Jesus. We decided to do the bean jar again this year. “Getting a bean” seemed to drive them last year. This year I tried to give them more ideas on how to get beans. Caleb got from Faith Formation the week before Ash Wednesday a large Lenten Calendar. I asked him if it would be okay that we used it as a family, he didn’t mind. I backed it with construction paper and hung it up on our pantry door. I knew everyone would see it if I put it there and be a constant reminder. I had tried to find ideas for what the kids could do during Lent to ear a bean. I found a few ideas here and there and had a few of my own. I liked one blog I saw that talked about “pluses” and “minuses”; things to add or sacrifice during Lent. I decided to combine all the ideas and divide them into things the kids could add to their day or make a sacrifice.
I had this all up on Ash Wednesday when the kids came home from school. They seemed excited talking about everything they were going to do or sacrifice to get their beans. I tried to explain they didn’t have to do everything on the list and they didn’t have to do it all everyday. I didn’t want them to do so much and not be able to keep it up and get discouraged. I was happy to see them interested and wanting to do a lot. Shouldn’t we always want to add things or take things out of our lives that help us grow closer to God? As always, they are reminding me how to be a better person.
Since, I’m writing this already into Lent and I can say the boys are impressing me. They are averaging about 5-6 beans each night. About three beans are from saying prayers at meals, then one for prayers before bed, and sometimes another for extra prayer time. They have been trying to not drink the normal juice during meals, but drink water. Drinking water has been a popular sacrifice for the boys. When we talk about what they did and hand out beans, the boys sometimes start counting and comparing number of beans, but we stop them. We want them to understand this is not a competition but something between them and Jesus.
