By Caitlin, the-brand-spankin-new Rope contributor
For the first time in my life, I have decided to go on a fast … kinda. My church, Church of the Highlands, does something called 21 days of prayer every January. Everyone who wants to participate can choose different ways of fasting (liquid fast, fruits and vegetables only, etc.). The purpose of a fast is to take the energy and time that you normally spend eating, thinking about eating, making meals to eat and pretty much anything to do with eating and focus that energy toward God and what He is trying to tell you.
I don’t know if I mentioned this already, but I LOVE food. I love to cook as much as I love to eat. I think about what I’m going to have for dinner while I’m still eating lunch. So I’m not doing a total fast. I hope to one day, but for right now I’m doing the Daniel plan for 21 days.
On the Daniel plan I can only eat certain things, anything organic or natural. To be honest, I’m not sure what all I can and can’t eat because my mom does the shopping and makes our dinner every night. (Did I mention that I am also living back at home for the first time in 3.5 years while doing an internship? Another story for another time.)
Anyway, the fast/diet is planned at the beginning of the year so that it coincides with the resolutions or goals people make in January. It is supposed to help you center on God and take away some of the everyday distractions, hopefully helping you accomplish resolutions as well.
I fully believe that starting off the New Year trying to focus more on God is a great thing and if fasting/dieting is supposed to help with that, then I am all in. The problem I’m having is the fact that I didn’t really have any goals or resolutions to begin with and am still not completely sure what God wants me to do with my life after graduation. I’m not even sure what God wants me to do with my life tomorrow!
I have two weeks of the fast left. Two weeks of eating organically and focusing all of my energy on what direction God wants to take my life. One thing I’ve noticed is that two weeks seems like a lifetime when talking about food that I can’t eat, and it seems like barely a second when talking about trying to get God’s direction on my life.
Whether God reveals his entire plan for my life, or just what to do after graduation, or if He doesn’t reveal anything at all, I know He has a plan for me.
That is what I have learned so far on this fast — to trust Him in all things, whether it be my life aspirations or just what I’m going to eat for lunch.
This Post Has 2 Comments
I hope you finished out the 21 days strong. That time is so powerful! I attend the Auburn campus and to see God moving every morning at the prayer meetings was such a beautiful sight. God only gives us enough light to focus on the next step. He never shines the light to far ahead because then we can stumble in the darkness at our feet. Be patient in the fact that God is slow but he works perfectly. Believe that and be blessed!
Thanks so much! I did finish it out and am so glad that I did. I actually attended the Auburn campus too before this semester and so wish I could have been there for the 21 days, but was so blessed to witness the same thing at the Grants Mill campus. I am learning that God’s timing is perfect and look forward to the year He has in store for me. Hope you have a blessed week.
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