<p>I too do not “give up” for Lent – rather I “take up”. I take up something that I hope will help me grow morally or spiritually. One year I took up praying for someone I do not know – a friend gave me the name of someone she felt was in need in prayer – that is all I know. I have now been praying for him for almost three years now. I find it calming and thought provoking to pray for someone who has need, but I don’t know what the need is or if my prayer is successful – just that I pray for that person.</p>
<p>Another year I gave up keeping my mouth shut when people around me made racist, homophobic, sexiest, etc comments. Boy that time was hard! But by Easter I had begun to understand how letting people think I agreed with their nasty little thoughts was eroding my own sense of self. I no longer am aggressive about it, but I still try to stand up for my own moral postions.</p>