Learning

So my Daniel Fast has come to an end this week. It's really amazing to look back and see all that God has done for me in the last 40 days. This post is not to brag about how "Christian" I am or to claim that "everything gets better when you fast." If anything, this fast has shown me how much I still have to work on. Rather, I want to share my experience, and encourage anyone who has not fasted before to take it into consideration. Parts of this fast were definitely less than fun. But the lasting benefits outweigh the temporary sucky stuff.

This is the first time in my life that I feel like I was able to really trust implicitly and put my life in God's hands, instead of trying to do my own thing. I started this fast as a way to find clarity in my life and get myself on the right track before I start a career. I had no intention of staying in Lancaster this summer. I really just wanted to get out. And I still do, sometimes. But I was blessed with an incredible internship opportunity at PRiMA theatre in Lancaster (check out their website here) and a full time job offer at Cherry Crest (I blogged about that here). Definitely not what I was expecting to be doing on the other side of my fast. But I was able to take extra time to pray and really consider my options and possibilities, and in the end, made one of my first real life decisions. We all know how I feel about decisions... I hate making them. It felt good to make one, and know that it was a good thing.

Conflict resolution. Many of you know that Kayleigh (she blogs here) and I have had some issues with each other in the past. Major issues. Like, she's-dating-my-ex-boyfriend issues. We've tried to resolve things in the past, mostly because we felt like we had to, but it never worked. Ever. I very rarely dislike someone to the point of almost hating them, but I admit: there were times when I hated her. Fortunately for both of us (and all of our mutual friends), something changed in the last month or so. We took the time to listen to each other, for real this time, and put ourselves in the other person's shoes. We realized that we aren't necessarily going to be BFFs... and that it's okay. Instead, putting God first in our lives (individually) will help us both to work through our issues (together). It won't be easy. It will require an effort. But the first step has been made.

The biggest thing I felt God saying to me was wait for Me. I am notorious for doing things on my own, and doing them now. I grew up in a world of instant gratification, I like to see my results. But there have been lots of areas in my life recently where I'm not seeing instant results... and it's frustrating. But there is a time and place for everything. There are probably things that are already set in motion that I have NO IDEA about, things that will eventually impact my life in a big way. It could become apparent tomorrow, or not til I'm 30. Retraining myself to wait has been the hardest thing, and I've barely begun. It involves the right attitude and intentionality. And a LOT of patience.

If you haven't ever done any sort of fasting, I'd encourage you to give it a try. You don't have to do a Daniel fast, you can give up coffee or sugar or tv or Facebook (it's possible, I promise) or anything else that takes priority in your life. But take the time to listen to God, pray about the big things in your life, and open your heart to new possibilities. You might be surprised.
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