I am Slowing

We are doing a really neat thing at church. We traditionally set aside the first week of the year to seek the Lord. We meet every evening and sing, worship and pray. Generally, we also fast. Every person is asked to seek the Lord in what it is they are to "fast." Why do they call it a "fast" anyway? Ever gone a long time without food? Let me tell you, things sloooooowww doooooown. Waaaaaaaay dooooowwwwn. They should call it a "slow." Minutes are hours when you are hungry. Anyway, I am "slowing" this week. Pretty much with me, everything slows down when I fast. Except my temper. That speeds up really a lot. So it is a good thing that the kids have been gone for the past few days. They are skiing with dad. It has been a gift not to have to think of things to make for them to keep them nourished while I am "slowing."

Here's a tip: If you are ever fasting food and your kids aren't and you have to make them something, DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT make them pot pies. Even if you hate pot pies, the fact that you are fasting will make those pot pies smell like the most delicious, tantalizing food ever imaginable. Here is what you make them: Egg salad sandwiches. The smell of them will not make you salivate. Even if you are starving. My kids were probably glad to leave. They were just starting with the plaintive "egg salad sandwiches? Again?" Yea, it's that or a bowl of rice with seasoned seaweed (OK, to you that sounds like cruelty, but they love it.)

So I am now on my fifth day of only liquids. I have been subsisting on soy milk, various juices, broth and coffee. Not together. Oh yea, and the "bread of life" aka The Lord. Let me tell you, by day three I was sailing. The whole point of it is to remind us that we are relying on God, not on "things of the flesh" (e.g., food) to nourish us. Everytime you feel empty, it is a good reminder to pray. Of course, usually I forget and blow up and yell at someone first. Then I have to apologize, then pray.

But there is something so special about prayer time when I am "slowing." It's like that red phone on the old Batman series. It's a Bat Phone to God. Or could it be that I am hearing better? Maybe it's like a spiritual earwax removal. Where it's like, wow, I can hear things so much better now! Yea, that's it.

So the big excitement is that we will be ending the fast with celebration, singing, prayer AND soup and bread! I am so excited about this! You see, you can't go off a five day fast with, say, an In 'n Out Double Double. You would get very sick. And since some of the black belts out there are doing water only, they really have to take it easy. Soup sounds heavenly about now. See ya after soup.