Fasting and Feasting

I am going to take a small break from Proverbs 31 and share a really neat experience our family had this week. We are part of a great small group here in our new home-town. They have been a great encouragement to us since moving here. However, many of the families are in a time of transition; opposite to us, they are moving away. One family for school, another to learn about church planting, and another for career. Other families are trying to decide if this is where they should remain, or if they should move back to their home-towns, to the mission field, etc. It is had to have just made all these friends, only to lose them! But we are all still together for a few more weeks. And in this time of transition, many of the details are hanging as loose ends. Homes need to be sold, arrangements made, God's will heard, and more. Having just gone through a big move, our family understands these anxieties. So the group came up with an idea. We would fast. And pray. And take time to be still before the Lord. We made a list of all the prayer requests and it was e-mailed around. Each family chose either Sat or Sun to fast and pray. We would then come together on Tuesday for a meal together and talk of what the Lord had done through our time.

I must admit, it was a bit awkward at first. Neither Jason nor I had really fasted before. We weren't sure what to do exactly. But as our tummies grew hungrier, we realized those pains reminded us that we should be hungering after God as much as we were for food in those moments. We put all the kids down for naps and sat down to pray together. It was a great time of prayer, one of the best we've experenced as a couple! It was a great time of lifting up friends and family to the Lord.

I think one of the things that felt the best was the sense of community we all had. Here was our entire group, although not together physically, we were together spiritually. All of us on a personal quest to hunger after God and His will for our lives. It was a time of trusting, and releasing control. Of letting all our concerns and fears go, and taking hold of the peace that only HE can bring! It was a sweet feast we had on Tuesday. We filled our tummies together and spoke of all the things we'd learned during our time of fasting. So fasting and feasting. That was our week. And an amazing one it was!

Proverbs 31:14-15 - Food!

Proverbs 31:14-15 "She is like merchant the ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls."

First off, where are my servant girls? Haha, don't I wish for the help! These verses demonstrate the woman's responsbility in her home to provide nourishment for her family. Here she is going out and negotiating good food for her family to eat. In the context of that culture, it probably meant she was using things she had made to trade for food to save her family money. In today's culture, I can also negotiate food for my family through shopping the sales and using coupons, always getting the best price for the items we need. Also, the fact that she is bringing in food from afar may indicate that the food is from other cultures. I suppose it is a good thing to have a varied diet and provide your family with many types of food, not just the same ol' routine.

Not only does a virtuous woman bring the food into the home, she also gets up early to begin her day and prepare the food. This is a hard one for me! My husband gets up to get ready for work, and I often sleep in until the children get up. I know that my day should start "while it is still dark". Not so literally, I take this to mean, before the hustle and bustle begins in the household. It is important to take time each morning to begin in prayer alone with our heavenly Father. This is something I have wanted to have the discipline to accomplish regularly, but have not yet done. In addition, we are to prepare food for our family. I know my husband does not necessarily want a full hot breakfast every morning, but he has expressed how much he loves it when I get up with him and make his lunch for him to take to work.

So I ask myself: Am I doing a good job bringing food into my home? Am I doing all that I can to try and negotiate the best price for a wide variety of foods? What can I do better with regard to getting up and spending quiet time with the Lord in the morning? How does my routine need to change to fulfill the Lord's desire that I am preparing food for my family each morning?