Curious Kate: Truthseeker Extraordinare

Alone we can do so little, Together we can do so much – Helen Keller

CK is back! Her maternity leave is up and her sabbatical for working on her book is over. And she is glad to be back with her 10th-grade religion class—just in time for Lent.

What she has found is that “Lent is optional”. Not on her watch. CK needs a well-thought-out plan if she is going on this Lenten walk with them. She wants them to understand the value of sacrificing for the good of others. She needs inspiration. And she knows where to get the best. She decides to go straight to the top and takes her concerns to God. What CK doesn’t realize is that her experience with the kids will become part of her own Lenten journey. Let’s listen in on their conversation to see what Papa and CK are up to.

CK: Good morning, Papa ❤️

Papa: Good morning, my Dearest Daughter Child  ❤️

CK: So it’s that Lenten time of the year, and I need help with the kids in my religion class. It seems the value of the Lenten observance has gone out of style. They do not see the value of prayer, fasting, or almsgiving. “What’s the point?” they ask. This world is beyond hope. I know I can’t guilt them into observing this tradition; well I could, but that would not be good. I have to respect their journey.

Papa: Very true, just like I respect my children’s journeys, including yours. How can I help?

CK: I guess I just need some ideas that would be meaningful besides giving up licorice or lattes for Lent. I have to admit, even as an adult, I sometimes feel like I am only going through the motions; it’s another thing on my to-do list. I want Lent to be transformative. How can I help them see that Lent is a gift we give to ourselves, to others, and to you. What kind of carrot can I dangle in front of them to get them headed in the right direction?

Papa: Let me ask you, why are you here? Why have you chosen to volunteer to teach these kids about me? As their spiritual mentor, what kind of an impact or change would you like to see in the lives of these young people?

CK: Wow, that is a lot to think about this early in the morning, but let me think a minute.

OK, I am here because I feel you have called me to be here. I think I have a pretty good grasp of what is important in their world. I want our little Samantha Rose to grow up in a world of love and joy and peace. And with your help, Papa, that is possible. Or at least as much as possible in a world that has lost its way.

Because of the interconnectedness factor, what happens to one, happens to all. The pandemic, for example, and now this war in Ukraine. It just makes me so sad to think the obsession for power and money by a few is destroying so many lives.

I guess what I am saying is, even with all these things going on, I believe there is a reason for hope, and that hope stems from love because as we have shared many times, love is the most powerful force in all of creation. And love heals.

Papa: There you go: love. Everything that is truly good comes from my perfect love and that is what makes all things possible. 😊 So, if you had one wish for these kids, what could it be?

CK: To know you as I do. I would love to see their relationship with you fill them with faith, hope, and love. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be teaching religion.

Papa: Have you ever told them that?

CK: Actually, I don’t think so, at least not in words directed at them. Hmmm. I want to make you “real” to them. I have learned that with you by my side Papa, there is nothing that we can’t get through. You are my go-to, my plus one – from the divine perspective that is.

Papa: What your kids know about you is that you and I are tight. And even if they don’t understand the hows and whys of our relationship, they do respect the fact that you are real and authentic and you care deeply for them. They love your stories because you have never been afraid to put yourself out there. So why not tell them what Lent meant to you growing up.

CK: Okay… My mom was great at teaching Henry and me what was most important, even if we didn’t want to acknowledge it at the time. Actually, Henry was a bit more difficult to convince. 😊 I just had a lot of questions. Imagine that. 😊

Papa: Also you, yourself, need to see these 40 days from a different perspective. It is a faith journey, rather than something on your to-do-list.

CK: Ahhh, good point.

Papa: Thirdly, the “carrot” is found in the process, otherwise the journey is not something they can own.

CK: Got it. Stories of Lenten journeys past. Well, as a little kid, mom and I gave up chocolate together. I did whatever mom did. But also, we would go to church on Wednesday nights. Not going was not an option. Mom said if she can take time from her busy life to go, then we as a family unit were going. She said it was a small thing we could do together and that taking 45 minutes out of the 10,080 minutes in a week was the least we could. If Henry started to buck the system, mom told him that when he no longer lived under her “mortgaged” roof, he could do whatever he wanted.

In actuality, we both knew how hard mom worked and what she had to sacrifice for us. We could see how much she relied on her faith to get her through some pretty tough times, especially when dad passed. I think initially we went more out of respect for mom. So, we just did it. When Henry finally did leave the nest, he had a pretty strong faith base to help him get through college fairly unmarred.

One year, we each had to come up with an idea of how we could celebrate Lent as a family. And it did mean a lot more when we were part of the planning process.

Papa: Your mom had the right mindset. Lent is a celebration of sacrificial love. That is what the cross was all about: love, as in: “For God so loved the world, that I have my only begotten Son, so whoever believeed in him would have everlasting life.” What else can you share with the kids?

CK: One year, I remember during Lent, our church was having a tag sale, and the money made went to the local woman and children’s center. So we decided we would go through our respective hot spots and keep only the things we really needed and donate what we didn’t. Actually, it was pretty fun, even when we had to pick up and run with Henry’s stuff sometimes. Honestly, I don’t know why he thought he still needed all those Ninja Turtles and California Raisin characters. Anyway, when we were finally done, I could close my closet door, mom had more counter space in the kitchen, and Henry could finally find the floor in his bedroom. 😊

Another time, right after I got my driver’s license, Sam and I loaded up our old clunker of a car with leftover baked goods from Sam’s mom’s bakery and took them to the food shelf in the town down the road a couple of times during Lent. They were always so glad to see us coming. And although our motives were a little blurred, it felt really good to help those who really needed it.

Papa: That is because loving others is like a natural high. I built it in my children’s DNA.

CK: How very God-like of You. 😊 One last thing, what do I do with the Negative Nellies and Normans in my class? Honestly, I swear some of them don’t have a compassionate bone in their body.

Papa: Focus on the positive aspects of sacrifice. And remember, it might not be until they are adults that they can truly appreciate what Lent is all about. So don’t expect an overnight transformation.

CK: I better get to work then. Thanks for helping talk this through. I think I have some pretty good ideas now. I will get back to you with a progress report. 😊

Papa: I am looking forward to it. 😊 Thank you, my child. I love you! ❤️

CK: I love you too, ❤️Papa. Later…😊

Points to Ponder: What do I think of when I hear the words prayer, fasting, and almsgiving?

Challenge: Lent is not about giving up lattes and licorice. It is about taking up a discipline that will have a lasting and positive on my life.  If you need help, ask Papa for the fortitude to carry through.

And do not forget to do good and share with others,  for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:16