7: Day Four

On the way home from LifeGroup Monday night Josh and I were talking about all the things we would love to eat.  He asked for a "mulligan".  I told him he was only allowed one for the month...well, maybe three (said jokingly).  We laughed and went home to apples and peanut butter.  Confession:  I had watermelon this afternoon.  It tasted like Heaven.  It was just a swerve off the road and we are still maintaining the course!  True Fact: This is not about the food.  Yes, we are fasting but fasting is never about the food.

I don't think we realize all the things we think about in one day that have no significance at all.  Narrowing food choices down to ten has forced us to get creative with meals but it also takes the guess work out of, "What am I going to eat?" and it frees up more brain space to meditate on things that matter.  In Jen Hatmaker's book 7 she writes on Day 1 of her journey about her spiritual waters being stagnant and says, "Perhaps this is the philosophy behind the biblical fasts of three days, seven days, and forty days in the Word.  Maybe we need more than one day to push through the inauguration onto the business of communion."  AMEN!

The last few days I've spent more time going in depth with my children about God's Word and prayer.  This is partly due to the amount of time I am focusing on these things.  How can we guide them when our devotion to Father suffers?  The boys have had great revelations this week.  They are loosely fasting and don't entirely understand the purpose of it but that is OK.  They are seeing change in their parents, they are being fed more meat of God's Word and they are reaping the benefits of our sacrifice. 

Our Littlest One Praying

Last night a young 7th grader spoke of his struggles, both personally and within his family.  His cry was loud and piercing straight to the heart of everyone in the room.   Josh and I left feeling humbled.  I'm not sure humbled is even strong enough a word.  You don't realize how selfish you have become until God puts a child is front of you who's life is so broken that only our Redeemer can restore him to life again.

Father, help us to sacrifice more so that we may gain more of You.  Guide our words, thoughts and actions so that WE can cast out every selfish desire the minute it enters our mind and that YOU would take our lives captive for Your glory.