Why Fast?
January 17, 2009 at 9:04 pm | In Challenging your faith, God, church | 6 CommentsTags: Daniel Fast, Frustration, Waiting
Really – Why fast anyway? That is the question I began asking myself yesterday about the time the exhaustion from the lack of caffeine finally wore off and the craving for pizza finally kicked in. All week I have been so exhausted I couldn’t think straight. Maybe it is because I literally drink 4 or 5 Diet Sundrops a day (that might be a conservative estimate). I literally only drink Diet Sundrop or an occasional Coke. Yes, I know it’s unhealthy but haven’t really cared. Between the lack of caffeine and the denial of sugar (which is the other staple in my diet) I haven’t had the energy to be hungry. Up until Wednesday my head hurt the entire time I was awake even though I was already taking ibuprofen for my foot. By Wednesday the headache had faded but I couldn’t wake up…I mean I almost overslept several times this week and even when I got up didn’t feel awake.
By yesterday I was getting frustrated. I haven’t been hungry haven’t really craved anything (until yesterday) but I’ve felt horrible so I began to ask – why am I doing this anyway?
- Am I doing it cause everybody else is doing it?
- Am I doing it to prove a point or try to be “more spiritual” or appear “more spiritual”?
- Am I doing it because I feel like I have to?
- Or am I doing it to seek the Lord?
The last question left me even more frustrated. I did this for all the right reasons or at least I feel like I did, but for many reasons haven’t felt like I have heard anything from the Lord, received any new revelation, or found new inspiration or insight. OK, when I realized that it sent me into absolute turmoil.
If that’s the case and this is why I’m depriving myself why am I still doing it? So I didn’t what any good married women would do – told my husband I wanted to quit and wait for him to tell me OK. I didn’t think that would be hard since he wasn’t real excited about it to start with. So I told him and waited and he said nothing…until this morning when he said “I feel like you want me to tell you to quit….but what if you do this for 19 days without God showing you anything and then on day 20 He shows up and gives you some great insight, will it be worth it then?” Nuff said! Cheesecake will have to wait til January 31st!
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Oh that Johnny Fuller has some wisdom doesn’t he? Now, will you please NOT post any more pictures of sweet and savory delicacies until January 31st? please? Thank you.
Comment by candress — January 17, 2009 #
Wise words from your husband. Sounds like he fears the Lord. Awesome. You two must make a great couple. Balancing one another out.
Comment by unexpectedthankyou — January 17, 2009 #
Yes the word is true. He chose the “foolish to confound the wise!” Glad I could inspire you Hoddie!
Comment by John — January 18, 2009 #
Great post. I love your honesty.
Comment by Jen — January 18, 2009 #
[...] our church decided to do the 21 days. We still had it in our minds to do only a week then I read this and that changed my perspective on it [...]
Pingback by Week in Review « Random Ramblings — January 18, 2009 #
Numbers 1 and 3 are the precise reasons I didn’t do the fast this year. You see, for the last 3 years or so we’ve been in a church that does a fast at the beginning of the year. At some point, I realized that I wasn’t always doing the fast because the Lord had lead ME to do it. I did it for the reasons you stated above. So this time, it isn’t out of rebellion, apathy, or not wanting to seek the Lord, it’s just that when I do fast, I want it to be because He wants me to alone. Not all those other reasons. In any case, everytime I’ve ever done for those reasons alone, I never succeed, I always flop at it anyway and then give up completely.
Thanks for sharing!
Comment by Rachel — January 23, 2009 #