I really love to eat food.
No I REALLY LOVE food.
Depriving myself of something that brings pleasure, and usually extra girth, is just a major challenge.
When I was a kid, we never had any flavor in out cardboard food. It was all about the color. We ate yellow meals, orange, green or brown meals. Every thing you ate had to match color wise. Yeah...poor me. The pathetic part was as a kid I had to cook the meals 3 nights a week at least and that was how I was taught to cook. I was the sassy chef though and would make taco salad (gasp). Yes, I would mix colors in my meals. I was such the rebel. I made things like mac-n-cheese and would have a side dish of (again gasp) green salad!! I know. I was over the top.
As I began my life in my own home I learned the joy of cooking.
The love of spices grabbed onto my taste buds and has never let go!
I have found garlic, salt, pepper, paprika, cinnamon, ginger, oregano, cumin, and so many other wonderful herbs and natural additives to my homemade dishes.
Now the bland food made not eating very easy back in the day. Fasting was not a challenge. I was underweight. Now...well let's just say all that missing weight from my youth has found its way back to me. I am not huge but you can tell I have a well stocked pantry in my home.
So any way back to my thought this morning about fasting. Fasting is, as I said, hard for me. When I do fast it is not for weight reduction but usually as prayer for something or someone. My last fast was on the 3rd with quite a few members of our church. We were fasting and praying for our country. For me in particular it was difficult because on the 2nd we had just had a birthday party for Michael Jr and Belle so there was lots of good leftovers to pick at. Then I was prepping things for the 4th of July on the 3rd. So I was surrounded by wonderful food the whole time. Temptation was abundant. Man, the cake icing was even calling out to have a finger full. Ugh. It was tough but I did it. I ate nothing.
I started thinking about that and life.
You know we are only here on earth for such a small amount of time really. When you think of it in the grand scheme of things. We really are here just for the blink of an eye. As I think about how quickly time has gone just with my oldest child. She was an infant in the hospital just the other day and now she is checking out colleges. Wow...wow.
Follow me with this, it will all come together in a second. Jesus died the most excruciating and humiliating death for you and me. He took the punishment for all the stupid, mean, thoughtless and selfish things I have done so that I could be with Him in heaven right? Of coarse right. We all know this yet we continue to screw up. Kind of like "thank you Lord for taking the nails for me but I am gonna keep being selfish and doing whatever the heck I want because I have accepted you (to a degree) into my life and so I know I am going to heaven. So thanks again and this Bud is for you!!"
Ouch. True to a point right? How many times have I done that to Him without really thinking about it? I pray "Lord make me a better Christian" then skip church because I was out to late the night before or it would take to much time out of my day. I have a life. I just could go to a movie or go shopping or sleep instead. Hmmm....let's see what if Jesus had said "you know, I could save the people but I would really rather just kick it here by the sea and have a picnic with John and my mother. I really don't wanna get beat up today. Maybe next week." Yeah, that would definitely have stunk for me.
So what if I looked at my life as a fast.
Really. What if I did?
What if, I am now of enough mind, and I have truly accepted Jesus as my Savior, I could "fast" with all of the things that I might enjoy but are wrong for me or not of pleasure to my Lord?
Could I do that?
When I fast and give up cake, left over barbecue chicken, jello salad and all the other good stuff, I know it is hard but for a good purpose. It is to really promote my petition to the Lord. It is to show this is something that is vitally important to me. Important enough that I will pray every time I feel hunger instead of giving in to my needs of the flesh.
Hmmm again. Could I give up everything that is not of pleasure to my Lord? Could I be that Christian that every one recognizes as a good Christian? People might not know me but know me as the good Christian woman down the street, be known for my actions not for my attire, home or name? Could I be that selfless? Could I do a life fast?
If our life, however long it seems to us today is but a moments thought to God, would I be able to "fast" that long? Intentionally I would love to say yes. Can I though? I am so fallible. I am constantly slipping up. Example: This van pulls up in front of my house the other day. The passenger opens the door, vomits and then they take off. My first thought was :"Cow. Thanks a ton. I just love cleaning up other peoples vomit from in front of my house. Why don't I come and vomit in front of your house? You couldn't even pour a soda over it or something? Errrggghhh!" Now had I been a good Christian I would have just had my second thought "maybe she was pregnant. I know how yucky that feels when every car ride is just torture to your stomach. Poor girl. I hope she is not sick. Man what if she just left her chemo appointment. God bless that girl. May she feel better soon. I better clean this up right now, don't want my husband to have to come home to this." Yeah my first thought is not always the kindest, but the second thought is usually better and the one I go with.
If I fast I need to learn to skip the first thought all together for God. Does not seem as easy now huh?
I am half way through the average woman's lifespan. The first 20 years seemed to go on forever. The second 20 have sped by filled with love and happy memories. I hope the next 20 will go by even faster and have much joy and laughter in them as well. Can I live them as a fast? The enemy makes it difficult just like the cake icing calling out to me during my fast on the 3rd. It is hard. The ways of anger and selfishness are just so easy to fall into. Rude comments toward the driver who cut me off and almost hit me on the freeway is like a knee jerk response.Can I be stronger? The graffiti artist who thinks my wall is a canvas for words that I can't even figure out and is not even pretty, can I find something positive to say there? What about the person/people who broke into our truck while I was shopping and it ended up costing a small fortune to fix? Can I let it go with a blessing?
Jesus was such a good man.
I feel that is an understatement.
I was thinking that just as I learned to add spices to my meals to really enjoy them and see the true amazing flavor you can have with foods with spice, I have learned to do the same with Jesus.
People can be sustained on life with the enemy much like my life with bland food. It is a way of life. It will get you through the day. Man, even plain vanilla ice cream is good some times. Bland diets can make your body look rock star good! You will get complements on how rockin your body is visually. The opposite sex will hit on you more, temptation to sin in other ways is then that much more. The enemy is wining that way.
But...if I choose Jesus and life fasting from situations that can be tempting maybe I will be filled with the spices of life for eternity.
Fasting with my salt...Jesus.
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