While growing up, my mom would often use this phrase which, admittedly, made no sense to me at the time. I now realize she was imparting some wisdom she felt would be helpful for me to draw from in life.

Well, today I got the distinct impression that God was asking me to lay off some of my coffee…perhaps for the rest of Lent, but at least today. I took a sip, then put it aside before we headed to mass.

I have to say, I truly felt invigorated with the homily during mass. My heart felt uplifted, and the words our Deacon shared really resonated with me. I felt like part of me was coming awake *in spite* of my skipping the coffee!

That grace along with communion got me past the snacks and goodies aisle at the grocery store afterwards, and strengthened my resolve to resist the urge to indulge when given the opportunity to share a cup with our in-laws, knowing my cup sat waiting on our countertop at home.

So on this first Sunday of Lent, which is meant to give our hearts just a little more room for Him as we forgo a little bit of our worldly pleasures, I am reminded of how fasting truly works, spiritually.

The less we muck up and clutter our lives and souls with our delectable feasts and fancy clothes with matching accessories, or indulge in the latest Amazon finds, those household gadgets for making life easier, or the endless scrolling through social media and mindless binging of our favorite TV series…the more we ultimately receive.

When we deny ourselves of our wants for His sake, the more generously God pours out His love to us, and the more we notice Him and His infinite grace working in and through our lives.