This year for lent I gave up drinking tea. Other things I have given up in the past have been lying in, my computer, the standard chocolate, but this was by far and away my hardest ever lent.I also decided to give up coffee and hot chocolate. I don't really drink either that often but I figured I would only turn to them in replacement for the tea.
Prior to lent I was pondering what could I give up, and even what was the point of doing a lent just for the sake of it. Then someone in work spotted that I consume a large volume of tea and suggested I give that up. I thought to myself what a proposterous idea, I wouldn't even want to give up tea, let alone be able to!
Then it occurred me. I finally had reason to lent this year. I actually had something I could fast that I didn't believe I could, in order to be more like Jesus ( - yeh I know, what a saint! I gave up tea.... Jesus gave up all consumables!!)
So in the first few days of my lent, I actually had a consistant 120 hour headache from caffeine withdrawal <-- not recommended! and as time passed by I thought it should get easier.... it didn't. The edge of wanting a cup of tea was just as strong from one break to the next, and with people all around the office drinking it, it became almost unbareable. Respect goes to Jesus for what He had to endure.
But I made it through, thanks be to Him, and I had my first cup of tea courtesy of an American, whom may I add for a yank (apologies if that is an offensive term, I'm pretty ignorant of these things!), makes a pretty darn good cup of tea. I don't think it was the caffeine in the end that I was addicted to, but rather the inexplicable comfort which makes everything seem better that comes from a good ol' cuppa.
