1a on my list of Lenten disciplines is driving the speed limit at all times.  This ought to be a no-brainer, since it’s the law.  But I bought my first car last year and it is a standard transmission and is really fun.  How can I have fun now that I am spiritually mandated to obey the law?  I have had to invent some ways of making driving more entertaining.

The street in front of my house is a US highway that leads to town.  Going 55mph is no problem on this narrow two-lane country road.  As it descends into town it widens to four lanes at 50mph.  Then as downtown approaches, it quickly goes from 50>35>25.  It is hard to go 25MPH anywhere, but especially since I’ve had 10+ miles in the 50s.  Lent is Lent and I want a good score.  So I have been trying new ways to get from 50 to 35.  I have tried waiting till the last-minute and just popping the breaks to get from a perfect 50 to a perfect 35 in about 2 seconds.  I have tried gearing down getting from 50 to 35 without breaks.  Short of Flintstoning it, I’m out of ideas.

I have also been going through this book “One Year to an Organized Work Life,” which teaches that it takes 21 days to form a new good habit.  Bad habits are apparently much easier.  As Lent is 40 days + Sundays, it stands to reason that driving the speed limit ought not be a Lent-only discipline.  Herein seems to lie the brilliance of Lent.  It dares you to try something new or different.  By the time Easter comes, that new thing is almost second nature.  Could it be that I could actually drive the speed limit at all times?  Yes.  That is the point.  The point is to get to new life.  The point is that new life breeds new practices and that one can preempt the new life by trying out the new practices.  It is not the case that I have to be disorganized my whole life.  So I have to make the bed every day and drink lots of water.  It is new life that is attractive.  It is new life that is unveiled at Easter.  Not just Jesus’ but ours.

Discipline Scorecard:

1a)  Driving the speed limit–Did very well today.  4:4

1b)  Foul language–Had one moment of weakness.  2:4

2)  Fasting Lunch–Ate a very sensible lunch, which I ought to appreciate.  2:4

3)  Giving up Facebook–Back at it.  4:4

4)  Reading–Have been reading God’s Renewed Creation and am better for it.  4:4

5)  Something strictly between God and me–Weak but endured.  3:4

6)  Visiting parishioners–Too much snow.  1:4

7)  Guitar–Practiced hymns in case the snow proves to be too much for any of tomorrow’s musicians.  Old Rugged Cross sounds pretty mean on a simple guitar.  4:4