"Fast" Forward!

Goodness no, I'm not referring to speeding up life in any form or fashion.  Honestly, it feels like every day goes faster than the day before as it is.  One day I'm zombie walking in the wee hours of the morning tending to a newborn and WHAM!  The next thing I know I've been married almost 12 years, I have 3 kids, moved 7 times and I'm registering my baby for pre-kindergarten, talking to my older daughter about why you shouldn't "chase boys" at recess, and buying deodorant for my pre-teen son!  Where has time gone??? 

No, what I was referring to was a spiritual fast I recently finished and how it's pushed me forward in my faith and my pursuit to be a better person and follower of Christ.  I have fasted from things before, but I have never fully embraced the purpose as I did this last time.  Our church was very liberal (not a phrase you hear to often here in the "Bible belt" LOL!) in how it encouraged people to participate.

Here is a link to the sermon from the Sunday the challenge was issued.

http://www.beltway.org/player/032011

"The "acceptable fast" is discussed in the biblical Book of Isaiah, chapter 58:3-7. In essence, it means afflict the soul through abstaining from fulfilling the needs or wants of the flesh.

‘We have fasted before you!’ they say.

‘Why aren’t you impressed?
We have been very hard on ourselves,

and you don’t even notice it!’

“I will tell you why!” I respond.

“It’s because you are fasting to please yourselves.

Even while you fast,

you keep oppressing your workers.

4 What good is fasting

when you keep on fighting and quarreling?

This kind of fasting

will never get you anywhere with me.

5 You humble yourselves

by going through the motions of penance,

bowing your heads

like reeds bending in the wind.

You dress in burlap

and cover yourselves with ashes.

Is this what you call fasting?

Do you really think this will please the Lord?

6 “No, this is the kind of fasting I want:

Free those who are wrongly imprisoned;

lighten the burden of those who work for you.

Let the oppressed go free,

and remove the chains that bind people.

7 Share your food with the hungry,

and give shelter to the homeless.

Give clothes to those who need them,

and do not hide from relatives who need your help.

New Living Translation



Basically there is complete freedom in what you fast from as long as when you abstain from it you do it solemnly and replace your desire for that earthly need for a greater desire for Him.  David does a MUCH better way of impressing this in his sermon (he truly is gifted), but for a "cliff notes" version, that's pretty much the gist of it.  After a lot of praying and seeking, I felt led to fast complaining.  Yes, I know it sounds so minimal.  But in my life lately I've become very free with issuing my "opinion" on everything wether it's asked for or not, and especially when it's not good.  I'm usually a fairly positive person, but in the past few months I've been attacked in several ways that have caused me to have a very negative & insecure outlook on a lot of things.  Not exactly who I want to be.  I knew God would show me plenty durning this 21 day period and I was more than willing to learn.  And furthermore, it clearly states in the Bible that complaining is something we should NOT do. Do everything without complaining and arguing.  Philippians 2:14

Almost immediately I was tested.  And I confess the first few days I was tempted to find ways around it by "informing" Jarred, my mom or kids about something that had happened that I didn't like or was upset about.  I was convicted of this, asked for forgiveness and continued to seek Him.  I was brought up in the lutheran ELCA denomination and there is a song that we would sing every Sunday based on Psalm 51.  God placed this song on my heart during this time and it was my heart's cry when I would find myself tempted.

"Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with your free Spirit."

 

Not ironically it was the basis for the first devotion during the 21 day fast that the church had provided.  Again, I LOVE how God works.  Always having the perfect puzzle piece to fill us and meet us where we need Him. 

 

So, "fast forward" (I'm so witty I know! LOL!) to Easter Sunday.  The completion of the 21 days.  I had survived after being tested daily, hourly, and sometimes relentlessly; and honestly I felt renewed, restored, and refocused.  What a blessing!  Thank you Jesus!  But the enemy was NOT going to give up.  Our Easter Sunday was plagued with the dreaded stomach virus, tornados, and record braking baseball-sized hail.  However, it was also full of quiet, uninterruped quality family time that I'll always treasure and some much needed rain.  We found other ways to worship Him in our home by making resurrection rolls for breakfast and doing the resurrection eggs with the kiddos.  We made the most of it and I managed to keep my chin up and my mouth shut. 

 

Excited about seeking more of Him and "fast" forwarding my life in new ways very soon!

 

Blessings!