Daniel Fast Wrap-Up

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Our fast concluded a week ago.  I have to say, our first meal at the end of our fast was....disappointing.  Our first taste of meat in three weeks left me uninspired.  My first cup of tea?  Even less impressive.  I really expected to have that euphoric moment of "Oh my this is sooooo good!  I really missed this!"  But no.  Don't get me wrong, our first meal was also our first meal away camping over a long weekend.  It was a good meal.  It just wasn't all I thought it would be.  That surprised me.

Remember my theme for this year is "healthier"?

There are some former habits I have chosen to reject.  For example, I used to always cut off a little corner of my toast and eat it with a nice dob of butter (real stuff....not margarine).  I don't do that now.  And I'm making a conscious choice not to return to it.

We both discovered we enjoy nuts for snacks (along with other things for variety!) so I'm still buying nuts - it will send us broke!!!  I need to find a recipe for honey-roasted nuts so I can have a little bit of a treat with that good nutrition sometimes.

I have rediscovered my enjoyment of meat-free meals.  Last night I made baked vegetarian spring rolls along with a vegie-noodle soup of an Asian persuasion.  Both recipes were delicious.  Tonight we're having a minestrone-inspired soup (no bacon or 'evil beanies') bulked out with soup mix (lentils and barley) and no pasta.  Mr Busy believes it's just vegetable soup and if the boy will eat it under that pretense I'm satisfied.

After Imogen (of Inside-Out Style fame) posted about a dramatic gain in health and loss in weight (a post which came during my fast!) I've decided to explore the idea of intermittent fasting.  It's where calories are restricted on two non-consecutive days within a week.  Lots of fruit and vegies - I can do that!!  I'm hoping for that to mostly coincide with my days off in the hope that it can also be a time when I have space in my day to spend with God in a more intentional and deliberate way. I discovered I'm really bad at concentrated prayer and it's something I'd like to rectify.  I really did feel physically good when we were doing the fast....when I wasn't having an emotional "I just want to eat normally again" moment so I think an intermittent thing might work.

Spiritually?  Well, apart from my discovery about my prayer habits nothing much has shifted.  However, our senior pastor relentlessly reminds us that breakthrough may not (and often does not) come during the fast, but afterwards.  The things I was praying over are things that will take time and I know that.  But it would have been so cool to have a big breakthrough at the time, ya know?  I guess that's not so much what faith is about though, is it?  It's about growing our faith through perseverance. 

Would I do it again?  I guess my answer is "never say never".  Our church begins the year with a 21-day fast so whilst I may indeed participate in some way I may  not necessarily do this fast every year.  But next time I do it I will be more prepared and well-armed with the knowledge and resources I need to be successful in the practical elements.