Lent has a way of showing us what we spend the rest of the year avoiding. My name is Sarah Haykel, and in Welcoming God I share a candid reflection on celebrating Lent with real intention for the first time. 

If you’re a spiritual seeker who wants a grounded, honest take on Christian spirituality, this one is for you. Quick note: I sometimes use swear words, and we may touch on adult content!

I talk about a simple practice that helped me stay connected to Lent: daily Lenten readings. From there, I explore why Lent can feel so confronting. It asks us to look at ourselves, repair relationships, seek forgiveness, make amends, and let go of habits that keep us stuck. I also rethink the idea of fasting. Instead of only giving up sweets or alcohol, what if we abstained from judgment, critical self talk, or the patterns that cause disfunction in our lives?

My own Lenten commitment is abstaining from second guessing myself, which becomes a practice of trust in God and attentiveness to the Holy Spirit. I share journaling prompts you can use, then name the hardest piece for me: facing the reality of what happened to Jesus. Finally, I hold up spring as a living metaphor for the Easter season, a reminder that life pushes through cold soil toward light, and we can too.

If this resonates, subscribe to Welcoming God, share the episode with a friend, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What are you being invited to confront and move through?

Visit WelcomingGod.com to sign up for our newsletter, download the ebook companion to season one, and connect with Sarah directly through the contact form at the bottom of the web page.  

Music by Song Channel Music.  Listen at SongChannelMusic.com

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