The family woke and fired up the tea kettle and the toaster for bagels and tea. I had only the tea. The family then went into town and attended a mid-week Communion Service at St. Paul's Anglican Church, where Matthew's dad serves as a Deacon. I felt no hunger at all during the service. I was quite satisfied to have the communion host and wine as my only sustenance when the lunch plan was announced: drive-thru Taco Bell for a picnic.
They noshed on seven-layer burritos and nachos while I sipped water and enjoyed the view, the sunshine, and the cool breeze. The weather here truly is *sweet* -- every day is 70F and every night falls to 35F with stars and bright sun lighting each in turn. The kids of the family really love scrambling around rocks, up through wild brush, and out to the rocky overlooks.
Later in the afternoon we went on a hike taking several miles and about 1.5 hrs. It was in the late-day sun and I worried that my fasted tummy would leave me light-headed. So I took along a recovery protein drink mixed into my water bottle, just in case. I did sip it all down and every last vanilla protein-enhanced drop tasted so sweet. Only 4 more hours until sundown and time to break the fast. But first we had to go to a park with the kids and wait out the afternoon...I got a little stir-crazy.
I probably should have waited until we returned home to the feasting table; I wasn't that hungry. But since we'd packed a few half-turkey, half-salami sandwiches and a half of a bannan to take around with us, I said a quick prayer while watching the sunlight fade at 7pm and took my first bite. The bannana practically melted in my mouth. And then the sandwiches. They were all chewy goodness, still partly chilled. I felt more grateful for the creamy tartness of cheddar cheese than ever before. It was perfect end to my fast. I enjoyed being alone in my thoughts, one with the sunset, and I thought, as ever, God is good.
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That's such a great blog entry, Sunny! Sunday morning after Julie & Brian's wedding feast, I was so ill from all the buttery food that I barfed in the church restroom; I still had to perform at two church services and was going on 5 hours' sleep. I almost never skip my morning caffeine, and I almost never have an empty stomach, so it was an extremely spiritual experience, because all my defenses were down and the beautiful music and ritual went right through me down to the core of my bones!
ReplyDeleteI can see why people fast to be closer to God. My friend Derek and I are planning a VisionQuest (24-hour vigil somewhere in the woods). He was trying to convince me to fast and I was resisting, but maybe I will try to do it. And stay up all night!