Happy Easter everyone! Lent is now over and this year’s 40acts challenge has come to an end, although as with last year, the daily challenges have left me with quite a lot of food for thought and I’ll be taking some of them on board through Easter and beyond.
The challenges for this week have been:
- Act 35: Bite your tongue – trying to prevent harsh words slipping out
- Act 36: Do the dirty work – doing a domestic chore that we tend to avoid
- Act 37: Heavy lifting – trying to ease someone else’s burden
- Act 38: Open up – being open about our struggles
- Act 39: Write off – writing off someone’s debt to you
- Act 40: Undercover –An anonymous over-the-top generous act
Some of the challenges have been a little harder to complete through being on holiday – tackling a domestic chore that I usually avoid or allow someone else to do being a particular example and my way of completing this particular challenge was to allow hubby to stay in the hotel room with the girls on arrival whilst I went back out to the car to get some of our luggage – usually I stay with the girls and let him go back and forth to the car.
For me, the most challenging of this week’s acts was the first one – biting my tongue. Those harsh words slip out all too easily when I’m tired or hungry and it took a few attempts at taking a deep breath and counting to ten before I did manage to hold them back. This is definitely a challenge that I want to take forward as I’m aware that self-control over my own tongue is something that I struggle with.
I also struggled a little with writing off someone else’s debt that they owed me, including with regards to letting go and forgiving someone for something. I remember a similar act last year all about forgiving someone and wiping the slate clean which I did find quite challenging. There have been a couple of people in particular this past year I have found hard to forgive for past events but when thinking about the act for this year, I realised I have forgiven them both and made peace with it all. It’s always good to be reminded to let go and move on though.
Taking the time to send some encouraging words to friends who are having a tough time is something to definitely not just do during Lent, but all year round and so Act 37 is another one that I will definitely be carrying forward. I shared a couple of blog posts for Act 38 – my struggle to bond with my second baby and a post reflecting on the day we became heart parents as I think reading something similar to these would have helped me at various points on those particular journeys.
My favourite challenge this week was the final one – an over-the-top anonymous generous act and as this one involved keeping the generosity well and truly undercover, I won’t be sharing any more details.
Of course, just because Lent is now over doesn’t mean that the generosity challenge has to end with it – as with last year, I’ve been left with a few ideas of things that can be continued throughout the rest of the year. The challenge to break some bad habits – such as being late and letting those harsh words slip out – is one that I will definitely be taking forward. Switching off my phone a little more often and stepping away from the world of social media is another that will linger and I quite like the idea of the occasional moment of handing out free chocolate for #ChocolateTuesdays!
Did you take part in 40acts? I’d love to hear about how you got on with the challenge.
I have really enjoyed reading these weekly updates, and I think it’s great you have found things to take forward now that Lent is over.
I have been thinking about these acts and sometimes I think there is so much pressure to get things done and we rush around all day it’s hard to think about others. I did let a lovely old lady in front of me at supermarket till earlier this week, she only had a few items and much to my amazement when we were back at the supermarket the next day (getting the few things we had forgotten) someone who was in front of us at the till let us go in front of them! (that has never happened to me before!) What an great example of what goes around?
I think I would have found the biting my tongue and forgiving acts hard for this week, I am always getting cross at random things (not so much people) this week it was Facebook not doing what it was told that got me angry – so silly now I write about it. And I really find it difficult to forgive, I should really work on that.
An amazing series of posts, thank you for sharing and I look forward to next year =)
Thanks Jenni – biting my tongue is definitely something I struggle with and I often do struggle with forgiveness too – especially towards myself. It is such a difficult thing to do. How lovely that someone was kind enough to let you go in front of them at the supermarket. Those little things make such a different to the day, don’t they?
I love this. How much more productive for you and everyone else is this than just ‘give up chocolate’. Thank you for sharing (although the case of the anonymous one not too much!) Wonderful post and really challenging #SharetheJoy
Thank you, I really enjoyed taking part in the challenge.
You’ve done so well Louise, I’m really impressed by everything you have achieved during lent. It’s been very inspirational following your 40 Acts journey. I can really relate to what you said about biting your tongue, it’s something I struggle with but have been very mindful of this year and I must say it makes all the difference 🙂
Thank you – biting my tongue is definitely one to take forward but it is so difficult at times!
Oh my I’m so with you on the challenge of biting my tongue! Lack of sleep and too much busy-ness sees my frustration and fatigue slipping out of my mouth in ways that I’m not proud of. Thank you for reminding me to be more mindful of this, for linking up with #SharetheJoy this week and congrats with completing your challenges!
Thank you Michelle – still struggling with that one too! Lovely to link up again 🙂