Fasting is something I thought I couldn't do. I mean, who on earth wants to give up the ability to eat? Not this girl, as shown by her too-tight waistbands.
That being said, the only times I have fasted in the past were only for a few hours. It was probably for a blood test, to be honest. And one time in college when I didn't even make it that long. I will say, I can't completely fast. My blood sugar crashes, my hands get shaky, my tummy protests by feeling upset, and I'm generally miserable the rest of the day, if I skip even one meal. So, when the governor of Tennessee requested that people in our state take October 10 as a day of fasting and praying, I at first simply thought, "I'll just send up a few extra prayers that day and call it good." The more I thought about it, though, the more I thought maybe I should I do more. Fasting isn't giving up EVERYTHING. It's giving up something we love for a time so we can focus more on something else. And I remembered I had some protein meal-replacement shakes left over from when I tried to do a healthy thing back in late spring. Maybe I could just fast from real food. So, that's what I did. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner I drank a lumpy chocolate "shake" and only let myself have water the rest of the day (plus my cup of tea that morning so I could get my caffeine). And it was hard. Especially when we had a play date and my friend made super yummy cookies for after lunch. I was very tempted. And every time I felt the niggle of desire and hunger in my tummy, I sent up another prayer, using those gurgles and complaints as reminders of what my focus was supposed to be on that day. I prayed for our state and country, as well as those voting in the upcoming elections and those running. I prayed for the officials already in office. I prayed for friends and family who I knew needed to be lifted up more. I sent up thanks over and over for all sorts of things. And I made it through the day without eating real food. I did snack on some popcorn after my kids were in bed because I knew I wasn't going to get any sleep that night if I didn't put a little more on my stomach. Would I do it again? Possibly. It was a good reminder of how much more I could be praying during the day. And I'm sure it didn't truly hurt me to skip heavier meals for one day. Pretty sure I didn't lose any weight. Is it something I want to do with great frequency? No. But maybe that's the point. It's something special, saved for rare occasions to help us remember and reset our priorities. What about you? Have you ever fasted from anything? Did you do better than I did? Did it help you focus?
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This is a place for me to share thoughts and ideas not just related to writing. Thoughts about what's going on in my life, about an idea I got that I thought shareworthy, or just a funny anecdote.
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