Adventures in Fasting

Last Friday, Halloween night, I went out for dessert with my wife - Opera Crème Cake from the Bon Bonerie.  Big deal, right?  It was a big deal to me because I hadn’t eaten sweets since April (save one pre-planned Breves y Arequipe in Colombia in July and an accidental picked-up-the-wrong cup at TAZA mocha sip in October).  So the long-awaited OCC was my first real chocolate experience in six months.  

How was it?

It was gross.  Way too sweet.  So disappointing.   I had waited for it for so long, planned it’s arrival into my world for weeks, dreamed of the first taste.  But once I actually tasted it, it was a real let down.  

Nothing against the cake.  It’s hands down the best cake in the city.  I think my taste buds were experiencing sugar overload and I had built it up too much in my mind.  

Fasting is an interesting practice (emphasis on practice).  I’ve been practicing it in various forms for years and still struggle to explain it’s value and meaning when I’m asked.  

For me it’s about setting something aside from my everyday life in order to focus more intently on God.  

I often fast from food because as an admitted emotional eater (any emotion will do) food is a central source of comfort in my life.  For me, the danger in that is that food and drink can often become my go-to-gods.  You know the functional gods that offer sanctuary, offer to take your burdens and makes you feel better - at least until the experience fades, the glucose levels drop, and you need that next fix?

So this spring I decided it was time to remove the functional god of sweets for an extended period of time and allow God to step into it’s place.  

Surprisingly, I get asked a lot of questions about fasting.  People ask me what I learn from it and why I do it.  To start, here’s what Jesus said about fasting:

"When you practice some appetite-denying discipline to better concentrate on God, don't make a production out of it. It might turn you into a small-time celebrity but it won't make you a saint. If you 'go into training' inwardly, act normal outwardly. Shampoo and comb your hair, brush your teeth, wash your face. God doesn't require attention-getting devices. He won't overlook what you are doing; he'll reward you well.”
Matthew 6: 16-18

Jesus assumes we will fast “when you practice...”.   But he challenges us to not draw attention to ourselves while we’re fasting.  This is difficult.  He challenges us in the same way about prayer, giving, and other acts we do, but fasting is especially difficult because your friend has a birthday or a celebration and you have to explain why you’re not eating their cake, or someone spends hours making an amazing dessert and you have to refuse, the staff at Graeters wonders why you don’t return their calls.  Was it something they said?  So though you try, you inevitably draw attention to the fact that you’re fasting.  I’ve found I rarely get through a fast without someone noticing, so I just try to be as simple in my explanation as possible because it really is between me and God, and not make a big production out of it.

What I learned during this fast was simple yet profound - Life’s sweetest moments are shared.  

I’m not making that up, as cheesy (or sweet:-) as it might sound.  A couple months into the fast I developed this heightened appreciation for the act of being with people.  We gather around food.  Sometimes while we were having a meal or hanging out with people, I realized that there was a shift in my attention from the act (be it eating, drinking, or whatever) to this overwhelming sense of thankfulness for the shared moment itself.  It was pretty cool.  And it’s something that I hope to remember now that my taste buds are quickly readjusting to my sugar-filled life.  This appreciation for shared moments actually led me to break my fast a day earlier than I had originally planned, just so I could share the moment with Brooke because she was going to be out of town the next day.  

Not every fast I’ve done has led to an ‘aha moment’ like this.  And I also don’t believe fasting is always about learning something.  Sometimes we fast in petition for a cause, or in order to free up resources to give to a need.  There are lots of reasons to fast.  But when you fast, focus on God.  Trust that he won’t overlook what you’re doing.
  
I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences with fasting.

-Aaron