Every year when Lent starts, the question comes immediately:
“What are you giving up?”
Chocolate is the classic.
Sugar. Coffee. Wine. Social media.
And all of those are good. Truly.
But this year, I kept coming back to something simpler.
Our house still isn’t fully in order after the move.
Not a disaster. Not chaos. Just… unfinished.
There are a few pictures not hung yet.
A drawer that functions, but isn’t organized.
A piece of furniture waiting patiently in a box.
And it hit me — the low-level stress I feel isn’t dramatic. It’s tiny and constant. It’s that hum in the background that says, “You still need to finish this.”
So this year, my Lenten discipline is this:
One act of order every single day.
One picture hung.
One drawer organized.
One box fully dealt with.
One task completed that I’ve been quietly avoiding.
That’s it.
Not an overhaul.
Not a 40-day home makeover challenge.
Just one intentional act of completion.
And then I stop.
I offer it.
“Lord, bring order to me the way I’m bringing order here.”
Why This Matters More Than It Sounds
Lent is about aligning ourselves with Christ. That’s the goal.
And alignment sometimes means fasting from comforts. But sometimes it means building discipline where we’ve gotten slightly sloppy.
In Scripture, God creates through order. Light from darkness. Land from sea. Structure from chaos.
When I think about my home, my family, the space where we pray, eat, and live — bringing it into calm order feels like stewardship.
It’s not aesthetic.
It’s not Pinterest.
It’s peace.
And peace doesn’t usually happen by accident.
My Husband’s Lent Looks Different
I love how different Lenten disciplines can look within the same family.
My husband chose to work out every day during Lent.
Not for vanity. Not for some dramatic transformation reveal.
But because the body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.
Taking care of his body is an act of gratitude. It costs him something. It requires consistency. It strengthens him physically and spiritually.
That is sacrifice.
That honors Christ.
It praises God not only with words, but with discipline.
What If Lent Isn’t Just About Giving Something Up?
We tend to default to subtraction. But sometimes adding is more transformative.
Here are a few ideas if you’re still deciding what your Lent might look like:
Add Order
One small act of organization daily. Finish one postponed task each week. Clear one physical space that’s been nagging at you.
Add Prayer
Pray one decade of the Rosary every day. Read one Psalm every morning. Attend one extra weekday Mass.
Add Silence
No phone for the first 30 minutes after you wake up. Drive without music once a day. Sit quietly for ten minutes before bed.
Add Strength
Walk daily and offer it up. Stretch every night and pray while you do. Improve your sleep schedule.
Add Service
Write one encouraging message each week. Do one unseen act of kindness daily. Pray intentionally for someone difficult.
It’s Not Too Late
If you’re reading this and thinking, “I still don’t know what I’m doing for Lent,” take a breath.
You’re not behind.
Lent is not about the most impressive sacrifice. It’s about sincere alignment.
Pick something that brings you closer to Christ — not something that sounds impressive when someone asks about it.
For me this year, that means quiet order.
One act a day.
Small. Consistent. Faithful.
And maybe by Easter, not only will my house feel more settled…
but so will my heart.
God bless
