Breaking fast...

I'm eating my first meal of the day right now.

I've been thinking a lot about what I should be fasting for Lent and I decided to give up eating during all daylight hours. Water / juice / tea are the only things I'm going to allow myself to have. And yes, I know it's similar to the Muslim observance of Ramadan. It's been awhile since I've fasted this serious. Usually during Lent, I give up something like soda or candy. The longest I've ever had a period of fasting was the summer and autumn of 1999, where every Friday, I would abstain from eating anything for 24 hours.

Fasting is not to confused with dieting... the purpose behind abstaining from things is spiritual. Lent is symbolic of the 40 days that Jesus fasted and was tested before he began his public ministry (see Matthew 4:1-11) The simple idea behind fasting is by intentionally depriving ourselves of the things we normally love and enjoy, we realize that all we really need to truly live is God. When the pangs of hunger come (or the longing for whatever you're abstaining from), it's then one must focus the most on God. It's a reminder that maintaining a healthy spiritual life is an intentional process, a process that partially requires our will and partially requires help from God.

Fasting and prayer are also closely associated... when one fasts, it usually implies that they're praying for something specific. For myself, I'm sure it's fairly obvious that I'm praying for the "right job", but I truly desire something much more than just work. I don't think words can explain well what it is I'm seeking... Absolution? Redemption? Purpose? Justification?

A little bit of all those things and more I guess.

Back to dinner. Man, turkey and mashed potatoes never tasted so good... mmmm =)
posted by G at 6:50 PM   |

in?scrip?tion (n-skrip-shun)n.
1. The act or an instance of inscribing.
2. Something, such as the wording on a coin, medal, monument, or seal, that is inscribed.
3. A short, signed message in a book or on a photograph given as a gift.
4. The usually informal dedication of an artistic work.
5. Jeremiah 31:33