What will it be this year?

Stan's Drive In was located approximately 2 blocks from my childhood home. Each Monday night Stan's would host its' infamous buy one get one free shake night. People would flock from everywhere! Almost each Monday evening until close, a line of shake seekers would be out the door and encircling the small square building. As each proud, "free" shake eater licked their ever toppling, above the rim, sugary sweet milky creation when they exited the building, the rest of the line would salivate and change their initial flavor choice a million times before their actual order.

Stan's was that good. There was any shake flavor a heart could desire. Fruit, cookies, candies,  flavor syrups. Even the popular shake-of-the-month was to die for. Like pumpkin for October, peppermint/candycane for December, and some years, eggnog. Peach was nearly always the hit of August

By the time I was old enough to cross busy 9th east, I made the weekly trek up to Stan's with my friend Sara. It became our Monday night tradition. Whether or not Stan's put MSG in their shakes which seemed to keep us returning, we couldn't resist them. We would gather money, orders from family members, maybe grab a few other neighborhood friends to join us head up through some apartments and parking lots and we were in heaven. 

On any given Monday when it was only Sara and I craving a shake, we could then make best use of our money by combining the cost of one shake and get the other one for free! Reece's Pieces or Butterfinger were nearly always my top choices. If we were lucky enough, there would be a seat in the diner where we could put our feet up and swap flavor bites from each others cups.

No doubt all my hard earned child labor money was spent at either Stan's or the nearby 7/11 or Crest gas station. That is until Sara would give up shakes for Lent, helping me save some money. Sara was Catholic and practiced this Christian tradition forty days before each Easter. 40 days! That was usually six whole Mondays with no shakes. She impressed me with her ability, specifically when she would tail along with me to Stan's retrieving my families requests and watch me eat my shake on the walk home while she held one, maybe two under her nose.

One year, no doubt after the summer I attended Sara's Bible Camp, I chose to give up shakes for Lent too. It was hard work, but thinking of it now, I recall the spiritual, physical, monetary benefits of stopping something that was addicting, something that was tempting.

I tried giving something up for Lent again in 8th grade. We had vending machines at school full of packaged cookies, dots, candy bars and chips. After lunch, it was customary to swing by the machines and pick up a sweet bite to eat. Unfortunately by this time, body image began to be important to almost every teenage girl and I was no exception. Choosing to reduce my "chunkiness" I gave up sugar for Lent, and avoided it for almost 5 months.

Giving up a temptation and choosing to deny it by not valuing it is something I want to begin doing again. This post reminded me of the great impact Sara and her practice of Lent had in my life. Beginning March 9th, Ash Wednesday, through Easter I will be honoring "Christ’s fasting and wandering in the wilderness before his ministry" by celebrating Lent and denying myself one of my temptations, tendencies or habits. I'm also hoping it will bring me closer to Him, through His help.

What will it be? I have some ideas. Stay tuned on March 9th.
Would you like to give up something for Lent with me?