Coke Boneva Næ

Lent is a time to strive to be less of ourselves and more of God.

                                                                  -Fr. Xavier Olin, SJ

And that’s exactly what I’m trying to do.  I don’t really know why.  I usually give up something I usually can’t live without if I am asking for something from God.  Like a special request to answer a prayer in exchange of a personal sacrifice.  I gave up a nasty habit completely because I prayed for my husband to like me – like me.  And just minutes after, he held my hands for the first time.  YEAH!  I gave up getting my daily cup of Tall Cappuccino from the neighborhood Starbucks to achieve a goal at work (and save some money in the process).  And once just before I ran my half marathon, I gave up drinking Coke.

Today, as the Lenten season kicks off, once again I kick off the habit of drinking Coke.  At least for 40 days and 40 nights.  It’s been a constant struggle – since I was a kid I’ve been a Coke addict.  Coca Cola.  It’s like my water.  When I started to get hyperacidity, I had to stop drinking it from time to time.  But when I would get better, there I go again.  In Sri Lanka it is one of my “happy pills.”  Must be the sugar content and the nice “brrrrrrrr…” feeling a nice ice cold glass of Coke brings.  For fear of hyperacidity re-attacking, I’ve reserved weekends and holidays (thank God for weekday Poya!) as opportunities to drink Coke.  If it’s just a normal day, I opt for water.

Then I got this weird thought of why not just completely stop drinking Coke for the whole Lenten season?  I don’t really want anything like the times when I would stop drinking Coke before.  I guess because really God has made real all my deepest desires in the last couple of months.  As in all.  And I guess it’s just my way of “giving” back by letting go a part of myself.  In return of Him giving his whole self, just so I could be saved.

So, here’s to this 40-day challenge!  Sorry boys, no “brrrrr…” for me until Monday after Easter.  Maybe by giving this up you get the ICC World Cup? :-)