Menu- tea (fresh mint, lemon juice & honey), brown rice cakes with raisins and almond butter, leftover lentil stew
So, I’m one week in and I’ve only felt a real encounter on one day, maybe two. When this happens, it’s never because of God. It’s me. The only time I felt his tangible presence was on Day 5 and he had to practically knock me over the head so I would spend just a few moments with him. Yesterday was pretty cool. It is humbling to be able to introduce someone to Jesus through my relationship with him. Other than that, it’s been pretty…blah.
Part of the problem is I’ve been so caught up in busy work. This blog is included. While I’m being obedient in posting each day, which is not easy, this is not spending time with him. It’s work for him. Anyone in a marriage can relate to this, particularly if you have kids or own a business together. You spend so much time in the routine of life: getting the kids to school, budgeting, taking care of the house hold, business responsibilities. You forget that this is not quality time. You’re just working together like co-workers. It is vital to spend time only focused on each other. It’s not about having the time. You make the time.
I have not done that. The morning devotions that I do for the fast are nice but basically routine. I know because I honestly don’t remember much of what I’ve read. Today was about Nehemiah and staying the course on the fast. After about 30 minutes, I got caught up in the tasks of the day.
- Audition
- Finish Children’s Church Lesson Plan
- Email teacher and ministry leader
- Write blog post
- Conference Call
- Blah, Blah, Blah
Fasts are supposed to draw you closer to God. That’s the point. The time you spend eating or craving gets flipped to time spent in worship or study. Everyday is not going to be a honeymoon but I should at least have one moment of his presence.
So what do I do?
- First of all, I need to get motivated because quite frankly, I’m not feeling it right now.
- I need to get focused on HIM and not the food! (I’ll post my food log only to provide ideas for you)
- I have to take a more active approach in spending time with him. I can carve out 5 minutes of uninterrupted time with him in worship or in his Word. It’s 5 minutes!
I just need to get with it!