[Re] Connect

This Lenten season has already given me plenty of opportunities to [Re](insert verb here).  It’s amazing what can happen when you begin to break the habits and cycles that have come to define your lifestyle, and whatever those habits may be (watching too much TV, investing too much money in expensive coffee beverages, over-indulging in sweets, or developing a pattern of disconnected-connectedness) Lent is a time that the “traditional” Church sets aside specifically for the purpose of breaking those habits.  Throughout this journey I hope to periodically write about some of the [Re]sults of that breaking.

One of the joys I have experienced already is a sense of [Re]connection, which has actually been a pleasant surprise considering I was half-expecting to experience loneliness and isolation to result from “cutting myself off” from the outside world through an internet communications fast.  In the past week I have had the opportunity to visit with several friends who I haven’t seen or spent time with in quite a while, and I’ve really appreciated the opportunity to [re]connect with those people.  I’ve had authentic conversations that have been worth more than any amount of time spent checking facebook statuses or browsing through pictures and profiles.

I’ve found that in the midst of this journey, I have become so aware of and appreciative of face-to-face interaction with people.  It seems like it’s somewhat of a lost art in our fast-paced, “I’m too busy for that” culture, to just sit down and enjoy the company of another human being, and yet it is a form of connection that cannot be replaced by anything a machine can do.  There is something about looking into the eyes of another person, seeing their joy, excitement, grief and sincerity, that is simply unmatchable.

So, with that I challenge you.  How are you [Re]Connecting this Lenten season – with family, with friends, with God?