I understand fasting is a practice that others partake in. I am not inclined to fasting. It is not the
way I feel that the Lord speaks to me.
When asked to fast-I feel even less inclined to do so. If I feel moved by the Spirit to take time
away from the busy world full of distractions, I will try to listen in to the word
of God. I will try to discern His
guidance. I will not stop doing things
to pray and hope for consequences to evaporate.
I will not stand idly by while there are critical needs to be met,
people to hear the gospel, and regulations to adhere to.
What good is it my brothers if someone claims to have
faith but no deeds. Can such faith save
them? Suppose a brother is without clothes and daily food, if one of you says
to them “go in peace: keep warm and well feed” but does nothing about their
physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not
accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say “you have faith; I have
deeds. Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by my
deeds.”
James 2:14-18
As our stay with our hosts in Speia,
Moldova comes to an end,
I am feeling pressured to comply with behaviors and practices with which I do
not agree. The host family has been a
delight, yet it has been very difficult to overcome differences in perspective,
understanding and attitude. Coming from
a background (overly) focused on efficiency and achievements, it seems almost
incomprehensible to purposefully behave ineffectually and have nearly no desire
for tangible achievements. The time here
has been enjoyable; it has been a great way for us, as a new team, to
bond. The lack of productivity is easier
to accept with a group to help bring perspective, encouragement and
empathy. The close quarters has given us
time and opportunity to talk, question, grow and learn.
Back to fasting. It
was mentioned late one evening that we should take the next day to fast. As individuals we were told we could pray
about the fast: do we want to fast from food, internet, showers, etc? It wasn’t so much the question, but the
implication that I should be fasting
that got to me. I believe that God is
powerful and He can lay things on my heart-totally possible. Yet, not coming from a very Holy Spirit
focused background, there are a lot of things that I’ve seen, heard of
experienced along the World Race that are new to me. I am learning so much and intentionally putting
my new knowledge into practice of heart and mind.
The challenge of the World Race is really in the pain of
personal growth. We live in community
and different cultures to challenge our thinking, open our minds and expand our
understanding. I feel that I came on the
Race with God in a box. He was powerful,
merciful and good. God has a plan and He
saved us from our sins. (All these
things are right) Yet…God doesn’t fit in a box.
I’ve read a lot of books and had many discussions so far; each of these
experiences is imparting knowledge and wisdom.
Moving through the steps of breaking down the walls is allowing God to burst
open. This procedure alone is worth the
struggles, discomforts and awkward situations of the Race.
Michelle Armas, Zena Painting
Getting into the Word has given me a new kind of
confidence. I feel calmer, more assured
and more powerful. God’s love is
abounding in my soul. I am conscious of
the Lord’s presence more than I have ever been.
This confidence is inspiring a more self-assured faith; listening to the
Lord for guidance and trusting the responses I sense. One major thing I’ve learned is: I don’t have
to morph into a completely different person.
God loves who I am and is proud of me.
It is my motivation and intentions that bring Him honor and praise. So far the changes are subtle, but
valuable. It’s not new for me to like
reading, to enjoy leadership and mentoring, to seek answers to questions, or to
have opinions. It is new for me to read
my Bible, to want to be a spiritual leader, to search the God’s word for
solutions and measure my opinions against Biblical teaching.
**Sorry this was a little long, but I felt I needed to include all parts to get the full point across.
Thank you for hanging in for the whole post**
