Three

It has been three days since I started my fast, and I have to admit that it hasn't been too bad. For one thing, I think the "Seven" fast helped prepare me for this both physically and spiritually. I have wondered how much harder this would seem without that experience. I also have a friend who is fasting from all food for 40 days, so when I consider complaining, I am reminded of those who either through personal choice or through circumstances (poverty, famine) are going through much more than I am.

I committed to fast for 40 days, eating only foods that are available in Ghana, Africa. I consulted a couple of websites and came up with the following list of staples that will sustain me for the next 6 weeks, not counting Sundays which will be a day of celebration and "feasting":

• rice
• beans
• sweet potatoes
• bananas
• tomatoes
• chicken
• peanuts
• milk
• wheat bread
• oats
• spinach
• corn
• onions
• peas
• mushrooms
• sugar (sparingly)

So far, my meals have been pretty similar. Breakfast has been either oatmeal or dry bread/toast, milk, and a banana. Lunch was rice and either beans or sweet potatoes with more milk and a banana. Dinner consisted of rice and beans and sweet potatoes until tonight when I bought a rotisserie chicken. I cannot tell you how wonderful it was to have chicken with rice and home-canned tomatoes. I thought I might just be able to eat that for dinner for the rest of my life. (My reaction may have been a little over the top due to my inability to eat chocolate or cookies on Valentine's Day.)

Wednesday I was so hungry after school that I stopped at Wal-Mart on my way to pick up the kids from school and bought a bag of peanuts in their shells. I figured that having to shell them would keep me from consuming handfuls of them at a time. I got back to my car and immediately proceeded to crack them and eat them, throwing the shells out the window and allowing the hulls and pieces of shell to fall in my lap. It was a mess (and is slightly embarrassing to type).

I have been using my lunch break to read over the daily devotional in the book and have also tried to find times to do prayer walks or serve others each day. But it is still a struggle to pray as much as I would like to. I am reading a book about practicing the presence of God and have been challenged to think of God as much as possible throughout my day. I regret how little he is the focus of my thoughts or even a part of them. I long to have a continual dialogue with him throughout the day, asking his opinion on even small decisions, listening for his Spirit to whisper words of encouragement or discernment regarding a student or colleague. I am trusting that this desire and this fast will be a catalyst for finding ways to do this on a more consistent basis.

Do any of you have wisdom or advice on how you have implemented this practice in your life?