lines back

As I mentioned a couple posts ago, there's been some challenging things happening of late.  Yesterday I learned that the Nepalese death is less likely to be a suicide than they say. Dark stuff.  With these and the things back at "home" at my church in SoCal going on, there's been a round of encouragement to take time to pray. Some of the people from that church group have set aside Thursdays for fasting and prayer, so I decided to do likewise.

Today being Thursday, it was the day to fast. I admit to it being easier for me to fast than for some people. Food.. doesn't call to me like it does to many people.  I also don't "starve".. I just get hungry. I'm used to the feeling of hunger, so it doesn't demand like I know it does for some people. When THEY fast, it is a greater sacrifice and I honor that. It's very good.

Fasting... is something I haven't done for quite a while.  I miss meals easily here and there, doing some snacking to make it by, but not in earnest fasting, with a purpose.  Today definitely had a repeated prayer as I hungered: "I need You more than food." This is what I instructed my stomach, and what I also told my soul, and it was not in vain. I feel like my spirit has deepend (refreshed?) and my thoughts are elevated. My concerns for my students and for their personal growth are more earnest.

What surprised me was the familiarity/link I remembered between my time in high school when I used to fast regularly. I've seen that time in my life to be one of the strongest single-minded pursuit of God in my life.. and fasting today brought all of that back. The link to my past and a lost passion.