ZPCBlog

About the author: Brian and Cynthia have been active members of the body of Christ at ZPC for many years. We are learning a lot of math. Namely when you ADD to the family it doesn’t DIVIDE love, it MULTIPLIES it. As you can see from our photo, we were fortunate enough to spend some time with everyone in the Dominican Republic in February this year and we got lots of Mimaw and Pop-B time with our 4 adorable grandchildren and learned number 5 is on the way! 

When I said yes to writing this, I really didn’t think about it; I like to write, I’ve done these posts before, it will be a snap. Then Jerry preached his sermon on fasting and it seemed to me that he wanted us to “make it hurt.” To create a hole and fill it with God.

That didn’t sit well with me. If I am trying to use this as a tool to remember God, I certainly don’t want to have an “ashes and sackcloth” kind of countenance. I feel like when we are remembering what “God hath wrought” we should take on a glow not gloominess.

So what is the purpose of a fast? In Ezra 8:21, to humble ourselves. In Esther 4:16, to seek God’s favor. From Isaiah 58:6 to implore God to free the oppressed, and from Joel 1:14, repentance. In my mind the purpose of the fast during Lent was more shifting from the finite to the infinite, to stop anesthetizing ourselves. Then in that hole we have created, seek God.

The next wrestling match in my mind was what to give up. Giving up a day of eating or even a meal wasn’t realistic because of hypoglycemia. Giving up liver and onions or dental work seemed inauthentic and not in the spirit of the exercise. I very much enjoy having a glass of wine or a cocktail when I eat out but I wasn’t sure if that was the “IT.” Chocolate or sweets is not my Achilles heel like it is for some, and while I know its a common thing for people to give up, it didn’t seem like that was what I was being called to either.

Since it was already three days into lent (like I said, I really struggled with what to give up) I had to pick something, so I landed on the alcohol. Three weeks into the process I really didn’t feel like I was thinking about God more. The only time I ever drink wine or a cocktail is at a meal with family or friends. Giving that up was not creating extra space for contemplation of what Jesus did for me on the cross which in my mind was the point of the process. Substituting God for something else I enjoy—or have made an idol.

Then it hit me, the thing that distracts me most in my downtime are the games on my phone. I need only to look at my usage statistics to prove that. I know Jerry has talked about that in sermons as well. In fact it might be true that I was playing Candy Crush while I was listening to that sermon—I did feel a little guilty about that one.

So I had it: Fast from the games and focus on, even pursue, the spiritual in that place. Quit mindlessly anesthetizing myself. Pursue the Holy, not the hologram. And its been good; easier than I thought it was going to be. When I am tempted to pick up the phone and kill (waste) a bunch of time playing a game, now I am inclined to say a prayer of thanksgiving; praise God for what he hath wrought.

It has been quite a wrestling match in my head to get there, but I’m glad I did.

Thank you for for allowing me to share my imperfect but honest fast. Now for some liver and onions!

Prayer

God in heaven, thank you. Thank you for all you have given us; more than we can even comprehend. You are God in the plenty and God in the fast. Whether we have been successful in our endeavor to fast or not, please accept these attempts as an offering and sacrifice. As the Lenten period winds down, help please help us to continue to create space for you in our lives.
Amen

Share