Initially I would have told you I that I picked the wrong 7 foods for this week. In a way I still feel like that, but overall I’m changing my mind about how I view this week. I do miss using my microwave, stove top and oven. It was strange for me not to make a baked good for my Wednesday night class this week. Baking for my girls is something I enjoy doing and it is a part of my routine and identity. I thought I was doing myself a favor by choosing foods that had little or no prep work to eat. It made them easy to pack and take along with me this week. However, I’m noticing the limitations of premade food. My options are smaller than if I had chosen ingredients that I could mix and match to make into multiple meals.
I started to think this over today and I want you to know that my conclusions are in no way a judgment against those that have chosen to do things differently than me. I don’t think I’m better than you, because I’m not. With that disclaimer being said, I’ve gotten a lot of feedback on my choice to pick very specific items – like a certain type of bread and a certain kind of cheese. Originally, bread and cheese were going to be open categories for me. So if it fell under the definition of bread I could eat it and all forms of cheese would have been fair game (except for processed cheese products that really aren’t natural cheese). When I posted my blog about the 7 items I’ve chosen for the week, I realized that I backed myself into a corner because I explained my reasons for picking very specific items. If I were to eat cheddar cheese or white bread I would now feel like I was breaking the fast.
Since I am only doing this fast for a week and not a month like the book, I am seeing the benefit to making myself stick to my very specific items. I think it would be too easy for me if I could have all forms of bread and all forms of cheese. It wouldn’t be a sacrifice because I would have more variety and would have added more things to my diet that I like. That is not the point of this fast. Honestly, I know the bread I am eating for a week is healthier than the bread I usually eat, but let me tell you, I don’t like it more than my bread made with enriched flour and chemicals. I miss the bread that is bad for me!!! But eating something I don’t love over and over again is making me think more. It’s not the easy road and I think I’m getting more out of it as a result.
I’m amazed at how I’ve seen God move in my life over the last couple of weeks. Not everything in my life revolves around the 5/7 Fast. The truth is that doing these fast experiences have made me think more and pray more. I’m looking forward to God showing up in new ways. I’m out of my comfort zone. I think my increased conversation with God have spilled over into other areas of my life. God has been so present with me these last couple weeks. I really feel like He is more a part of each moment of my life. It goes beyond just spending time doing devotions. He isn’t someone I spend an hour with and move on from. He has been present and active! I’ve seen prayers answered! I’ve hit speed bumps that have driven me to my knees. I have also felt a deeper sense of peace these last few weeks even in the wake of tough decisions. I know that fasting really softens the heart and makes room for God show up in big ways. My life is proof of that and I am thankful! During a time of paring down excess in my life, I found new abundance in my relationship with the Lord! This is priceless! I don’t want to go back and I don’t want to stop!
Amy Scott's Thoughts 