21 days

This week brought a completion to my first complete read-through of the one year Bible, which left me with the question of where to read next.  I decided on a chronological plan, picking up in mid-Deuteronomy where the other plan had ended.  Several themes have been emerging out of my time in the Word this week.  Be strong.  Have courage.  Wait on the Lord.  Consecrate yourself.  These have been repeated in various Bible verses and chapters, as well as in the pages of other books that I've read.

Then Joshua said to the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."    Joshua 3:5

We have a promise that we will do amazing things in bringing Abigail to us.  I want to be ready and have complete faith that God will do what he said he would do.  If it happens to be adoption that He is planning, there are such BIG obstacles in the way that I wonder how it could ever come about.  Then I notice in Joshua that the river Jordan was in flood stage when the Israelites crossed.  Talk about an impossible task!  But they had faith, and God did what he said he would do.

In the midst of all this, my 3 year old struggles still with getting to the potty on time.  He knows what he should do, but the lure of playing just a little longer wins out.  As I change yet another pair of dirty pants, I find myself wondering if I am really that much different.  There are some areas of my life that I have held on to stubbornly, and refused to yield to God, even though I know that I am not doing His will in them.

While reading The Organized Heart, I find myself in the pages.  "The procrastinator love to hoard her time for herself rather than work diligently in it on the errands and tasks God gives her."  A few pages further I lose a few more toes when I read, "When we eschew our chores for our own hobbies, we show that God does not seem trustworthy to give us the rest we need, so we must take it for ourselves."  While listening to the audio book of Made to Crave, I hear the question of whether I turn to food before God . . .  for comfort, for celebration, when lonely or down, for strength and energy.

I read more . . .
"When God has placed a dream inside you that only He can make possible, you need to fast and pray."

and more .   . .
"Participating in a Daniel Fast requires eliminating commonly enjoyed foods for twenty-one days as an act of worship and of consecrating oneself to God."

All the threads start to come together, and I look at the calendar and realize that three weeks from today, I turn 40.  A new decade of life will start, one that may bring fulfillment of the promise.  But with my present hold on areas that I have been unwilling to turn over to God, I might find myself stranded in the desert, unable to enter the promised land because of my unbelief, my refusal to trust that God won't let me down.

So today I began a twenty-one day Daniel Fast of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, herbs, spices, and water.  My faithful companions of sugar, caffeine, dairy and yeasty bread goodness are not coming with me.  Instead, I will be turning more to God's word and seeking Him in prayer, seeking the comfort and only He can give.

 I ask for your prayers as I enter this period of consecration.  The selfish hold that I've kept on these areas is very strong, and the journey will not be easy.  In addition to drawing closer to God and seeking to know more of His will for our lives, I will be lifting up my nephew in prayer, as he will be undergoing open heart surgery toward the end of the fast.