Fasting for Fiji

I was able to participate in my first fast yesterday.  I know there were a lot of things I should have done differently and things I am looking to change the next time I do one, but I have to say, it was one of the most humbling, powerful experiences I've had!  Although 24 hours without food doesn't seem like a big deal for some, it was pretty huge for me.

Those who are around me a lot know that I have to have something on my stomach at least every two hours.  Otherwise, I start getting nauseous and having chest pains/heartburn pretty quick.  Also, I was advised not to do my exercises, which was pretty hard! I wake up around 6:30/45 every morning, and look forward to my workouts to help wake me up and just get my mind right for the day.  Plus, it takes up a good hour or more of the day.  I woke up at the same time on Friday, and just knew it was going to be an exhausting day.  

The morning flew by pretty quickly.  I was able to really dig into my readings, and spend a lot of quiet time in prayer.  I focused my prayers in the morning on this trip in general.  Prayers for the people in Fiji (and other countries that people are going to), defenses against whatever Satan might have planned for us while on our trips, final finance deadlines to be met, strength and energy for the Edge team staff, prayers for the missionaries we are staying with, that our team would grow together and be able to serve well, etc.  It was such a great experience to be able to spend that much time just talking and making these requests known to the Lord!

I hit a block around 3:00 though.  I was pretty tired and felt crazy nauseous, so that just made it hard to focus on the word I was studying. I reached out to a few people for some prayer support, and it definitely helped.

There were two verses that the Lord really placed on my heart during my time with Him, and I wanted to share those with you:

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" Romans 10:14-15

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him.  For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord look on the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

The first verse really made my heart see how important our work as Christians is. We are all called to be missionaries here in our own communities and workplaces.  There are so many people out there who haven't even heard the name Jesus before.  And how are they supposed to be able to call on Him for support and grace and love and compassion if they haven't heard of Him? It made the longing in my heart to go out and tell people about this good news grow even more.  I want to invite people in to this amazing community and relationship they can have with the Lord through Jesus Christ. It made me realize NOTHING is more important than spreading this news: not family, not friends, not missed opportunities while I'm serving overseas, etc.  

The second verse is one that I think will be really important to remember not only while serving in Fiji, but also when ministering here in Charlotte. We should never be too quick to judge someone, and we need to stop looking at outward appearances and actions to determine whether someone is a believer, needs our help, meets our standards, etc. God is able to look at each individual's heart, something we aren't able to do.  We can never see the true motivation behind someone's actions, but God can.  When I get to interact with non-believers, those in poverty, widows, etc., I can look at them all equally, holding off judgement because I know that the Lord knows their heart in such a way I can only imagine.  I just need to focus my attention on loving, serving, and teaching them the truth, like Jesus did.

When I was finally able to eat, I felt like I enjoyed every bite so much more.  It reminded me how frail we are as humans, and how quickly our strength leaves us.  We need that food source constantly to survive and sustain our bodies.  God doesn't!!  How awesome is it that we get to serve a God who never tires, never hungers, and whose strength never leaves?  It makes you wonder how people (me included!) can ever think so highly of themselves or look to themselves for strength. 

I really enjoyed this experience and how much it helped strengthen my relationship with the Lord.  He definitely revealed a lot to me during our time together, and I felt so refreshed in His word, not only in regards to Fiji, but some other big decisions I've been contemplating, too!  I want to study up and learn some more about fasting soon, so I can be even more intentional next time :)