LENT 1 - Fasting
Dear Friends,
               Have you ever fasted?  We often think of fasting as giving up food for a period of time.  This is something you should do carefully and thoughtfully and under the supervision of a health care professional – especially if you can’t afford to lose the pounds!  Fasting is something that is often associated with the Lenten Season but it does not always have to be about food.  We can fast from anything.
               My own children are fasting from various things during Lent.  I didn’t have to encourage them to do this – they came up with it on their own.  They have formed pacts with friends to hold one another accountable.  We will see how their fasting goes.  Of course – they didn’t fast from the things that I wanted them to fast from – but then they didn’t ask me my opinion!
               I have decided to fast from evening screen time.  My hope is that this will encourage an earlier bed time and a healthier devotional life and more conversation with Jenny.  We’ll see how that goes.
               If you fast it would be a good idea to remember why you are doing it.  The discipline of fasting is meant to draw us closer to God.  It is meant to remind us of Jesus and his suffering.  When we hunger for that thing from which we are fasting, we are meant to turn our hunger toward our Lord Jesus Christ.  Hopefully our fasting will not just make us grumpy and hard to live with.  That is probably what happens when all we can think about is the hunger.  If that is the case, I think it would be better not to fast!

To God be the Glory!
Robert

P.S.  Stop by the Congregation House any time Friday night or Saturday morning to offer support for Room in the Inn.