By Erica Heiselman
To invite Christ into my life this Lent, I am going to pray every day. This is something that is always a goal, but I need to become more committed and/or consistent with this goal. I think that praying is a very good way to stay in touch with God and so that is why this is a very good way for me (and for others) to invite Christ into their own lives this Lent.
I plan on working towards changing my prayers throughout Lent and just throughout my entire life as a Christian in general. My goal is to change my prayers from being, as most teenagers’ would be, geared towards what I want and instead to be geared towards what other people want and need. For example, I would be praying for things such as: God to help people struggling with illnesses, financial problems, and loss of loved ones. But I would also pray more often for war-stricken countries and countries that just need God’s help to get through whatever struggles they are dealing with.
Another way that I plan on inviting Christ into my life during Lent is by trying to do good deeds often. This would be as simple as holding a door for someone, helping a peer with their books at school, or just giving multiple people compliments throughout each day. I recently helped an older woman in a grocery store parking lot get a shopping cart that she was not able to reach by herself because it was stuck. Things like this not only make me feel good, but it really just makes that person feel cared for and it helps God’s people. I think that I can make a difference by letting others know there are people around them who care enough to help them with big or small things on a daily basis.
Overall, praying for others is a great way to stay in touch with Christ every day and especially during Lent. The season of Lent is really just about being thankful for what you have. This does not necessarily mean that you have to give up leisurely items, but it means that you should treat others well and know that your actions reflect how appreciative you are for what you have and for what God has given you.
(Erica Heiselman is student in the eighth-grade religion class of Josh Lawlor at Our Lady of the River Parish in LeClaire).