Surprises/Lessons from the 1st Week

It's been a week already... And I can't believe I'm using the word 'already' to describe the passage of time during this month of self-denial and simplicity. But it's true. We're a quarter of the way done with the food challenge. How about a moment of dancing for joy? :)

In all honesty though, I've been genuinely surprised by a few things. Of course, the surprises are coupled with things I've learned in the process, so I must convey them by talking about the lessons themselves. Surprises are like that... the moment of shock when you walk in on a birthday party in your honor is the moment you learn that all of your friends have been scheming behind your back.

Surprise/Lesson #1 - I Cook Out of my Spice Cabinet
Do you have any idea how many times I have reached for the garlic powder or the crushed red pepper flakes? Or the vanilla? Or the oregano? Or the________...??? Salt and pepper my foot! I'm beginning to question the wisdom of my choice of lemons for flavor. I mean, they save my hide when it's salad time at lunch, but man! What I wouldn't give for some garlic! All that to say, I've come to realize that I have no appreciation for the naturally present flavors of my food. I smother it in added seasonings regularly. Now that I've had a week of eating it plain, I'm slowly recognizing that real food plain is actually quite flavorful in and of itself. A little salt can really bring it out!

Surprise/Lesson #2 - I have 'Errands' Systematically Connected to 'Food'
Seriously. Running around town tends to be a lengthy process for me and, as I mentioned in a previous post, it usually sees me stopping somewhere. Somewhere with food. And a Dr. Pepper. That being said, my last day of running errands I lived off of bananas and a hard boiled egg and didn't really get hungry. (Have I mentioned that I'm convinced my stomach is shrinking?) Wanted something, yes. But got hungry? No. And with this discovery has come another. I can actually 'make it' without stopping and buying some highly-processed, mostly-fake, fast food yumminess that is bad for me and slowly erodes away my wallet. I've thought about looking back to see how much I generally spend at fast food places in a month but the thought scared me. Plus I knew how difficult it would be to differentiate between my purchases and DH's so I decided I had learned this lesson without that information anyway so I didn't need it now.

Surprise/Lesson #3 - I am a Creature of Habit
Okay... this wasn't really a surprise or a lesson. I knew this about myself, but I rediscovered it. Maybe it's still a tad early to make this claim, but I feel like I have already formed this routine of eating. Breakfast - Eggs & Avacado  Lunch - Spinach Salad  Snack - Banana  Supper - Sweet Potato & Chicken To be totally honest, I am falling in love with the simplicity of this reduction. Sure, I'd kick up the spice and flavor bit. But eating the same thing over and over again is so easy on the brain. AND, it makes cheat days like yesterday extra special. It was actually exciting to go to the store for ingredients and spend hours in the kitchen cooking my man's birthday supper! Of course, that could have had something to do with the fact that there is still ice and snow all around and I'm growing a deep and dark hatred for the cold and anything to do with winter... but still. It was fun!

Surpise/Lesson #4 - We Equate Social Gatherings with Food
I used to think it was a Baptist thing, that we couldn't get together without eating. Any more, I'm convinced that it's just a human thing. The council has agreed. We get together for lunch, celebrate with food, chat over coffee and doughnuts... Whenever we're invited to ANYthing social, we always ask "What should we bring?" Really, now, what would a party be without finger foods? Honestly, I don't know. It's not that I think this is a problem, per say, but you have to wonder how much more actual time we could spend together if we weren't spending our time in the kitchen.

Surprise/Lesson #5 - I Can't Explain '7' in Under 5 Minutes
No, I haven't actually timed myself... yet. But when I showed up at church on Wednesday night (Fellowship Dinner Night... Man that chili smelled good!) with my bag of groceries and began to assemble my own supper like the picky eater I've never been, of course the questions came. I was seriously wishing for my 7-Buddy Amy to be there to help me out but, alas, I had forgotten that she does Awana at another location on Wednesdays. So I was on my own to field questions to those who had never heard about it. I've tried to come up with simple one-liners to satisfy people's curiosity but so far they haven't been enough. Apparently, a 'fast from excess' doesn't compute as a good reason to pass up chili in the frozen tundra of Oklahoma for a salad, dry chicken, and a sweet potato. Usually I end up telling them about the book and suggesting they read it to find out all the cool stuff I left out. Your welcome, Jen, for the advertisement. ;)

Surprise/Lesson #6 - God is Faithful to Provide
Different levels of surprise have been reported by my faithful friends... but we all agree on the lesson. With varying depths of struggle and temptation, we have all grown stronger in this endeavor. What was once painful to see and not have (your husband's jalapeno poppers in the oven) is now a labor of love, made more sweet by the fact that it's for your loved ones entirely and you get no benefit other than knowing it is enjoyed by them. Kristi said that, in answer to her prayers, it is becoming easier to prepare meals for her family without even being tempted. And being obedient in this one challenge has served to be a reminder time after time throughout the day to be in prayer and has driven us closer to the One Who provides all of our needs and lavishes on us so many of our wants! As my mom, Michele, put it "God is faithful to walk you through what He calls you to do." If He is calling you to something... please do it! You never know who you will bless or how it will bless you.

-------- Week 1 --------

Day 2:

Behold, my 7 chosen items. And yes, I have already wished for another option. :)
1) Eggs
2) Chicken
3) Sweet Potato
4) Spinach
5) Avacado
6) Banana
7) Lemon
We are allowed salt and pepper and a little bit of oil. We are also officially allowed to cheat on family birthdays and Valentine's Day (DH would have a cow if I told him he wasn't allowed to 'treat' me that day... aw shucks, gee, I guess you are allowed, Honey!).

Every one of us was out and about on day 1, attending some event where the yummiest of foods were available to us. My mom reported that God made temptations easy for her... I need to find out what secret line she's talking to Him on. Lunch went by okay, but by the time my craft fair was done and it was time to go home I 'needed' a Dr. Pepper. And it was Happy Hour. No, I didn't cave. I just craved. Then I went to pick up a pizza for the guys to eat while watching the basketball game and the smell was driving me crazy! So yeah... first day wasn't a piece of cake.

It probably didn't help that the craft show was (almost) a complete failure. Had it not been for the one board sold to another vendor I might have written if off entirely and sat in my little pity party. In the middle of it my DH asked how I was dealing with the disappointment and I realized how high I had set my expectations. Silly me... I thought I was firmly grounded in reality and keeping a good check on my dreams. Alas, it seems that that's simply not how I do things. Dreaming big isn't something I even knew I tended to do just a short time ago, but I can see the pattern now.

But the joy that came with selling that one board at the end of the show helped bring my resolve back to the surface. The sweet young couple who chose to put their money towards a month of orphan care were genuinely interested in the approach I was using. Yes, they liked the product... but the husband had originally stopped to check out the chart that showed what each product would provide for a needy family. It was that ability to give that grabbed his attention. It gave me hope for the world, hope for the average joe I see in my day-to-day life. And, just as DH pointed out to me that perhaps the point of this venture wasn't so much about selling granite cutting boards as it was about my willingness to do so, maybe there's another point. Maybe the goal is to wake up a sleeping giant. Maybe it's more about giving others the same vision I have than trying to end poverty on my own. To use an analogy in a book I read recently, maybe my mission is to use my water hose to wake up the sleeping firefighters instead of trying to use my trickle to put out the fire. Maybe.

The Last Week

I have 5 more days left to stuff my face with all the goodies my heart desires. Right now I’m munching on buffalo jerky. I will be having a Dr. Pepper with my lunch. And Shepherd’s Pie is on the menu for the evening meal today.

In other words… next week is going to be tough.

I’ll be honest… this month seemed like it would be one of the simpler ones for me. I’m really, truly, not that high maintenance when it comes to food. If I were only cooking for myself, if I were single and living in an apartment somewhere, I’d be the kind to fix a pot of chili on Monday and eat it all week long. Eating the same thing over and over again doesn't really seem like a big deal to me. BUT… making a dish out of only 7 ingredients and 0 spices is going to be a different story. I’ll admit it… Now that it’s right in front of me I am realizing that this could be more difficult than I originally anticipated.

Over the years I've been to 3 different countries for mission trips. In all 3 of those the food options were comparatively limited. In Monterrey, Mexico every single breakfast (except the one when the Americans treated them with pancakes) we had eggs, refried beans, and tortillas. In Lilongwe, Malawi and Arusha, Tanzania we had rice and an unidentified meat in its natural juices for every meal during the day, except for when we were treated to fried grasshoppers. In other words, this challenge has, at its heart, the goal of being able to identify with the poorest of the world in their inability to have whatever suits their fancy for whichever meal they want. Rather bring asked “What sounds good for lunch today, Honey?” a husband is more likely to hear “We’re out of meat so it’s just rice today…” There will be no stopping for a quick tie-me-over snack until I get done with errands. No Happy Hour at Sonic. Lunch dates will be difficult at best, disastrous at worst. No stops for fast food as I’m out and about. That may be the hardest part of it all… I actually have to plan ahead… *face palm*

My very first day of this whole thing will see me gone all day long working a craft fair to try to raise money to feed the poor in third world countries. It will be symbolically perfect and incredibly difficult as a first day! Planning ahead, in this case, is going to mean cooking up a chicken a day in advance and probably skipping breakfast all together (horrors!). It works great, though, since my little brother, who is helping with the booth, will get to eat the provided lunch for me. Perfect!

Besides the loss of options during this month, I’m personally adding that I will not simply eat whenever the mood hits me. I am a terrible ‘muncher’. I don’t eat exorbitantly large portions (by America’s standard that is…) but I snack throughout the day. Hunger hits? I’ll go find something to munch. Boredom strikes? Hand-to-mouth movements are great to diminish that feeling. I’m not overweight or an emotional eater… but I don’t keep eating to meal times. Just one more sign of the privileged place I’m in. I actually remember the first time I had hunger pains and didn't know what they were. It’s disgusting to me that I actually felt those pangs and wondered if I was getting sick. No wonder I can’t identify with the hungry of the world!

But in February that ends. Ignorance and apathy have had their time. It’s knowledge and empathy’s turn.

The Justice Factor

The first chapter of Isaiah has been very influential in my thought process of late. I see in it a reflection of the mainstream church of America... where sacrifices and festivals and offerings abound but the key concerns of our God remain absent. I will let the Word speak for itself here in this short segment...

'Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom! Give ear to the teaching of our God, you people of Gomorrah! "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?" says the Lord; "I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. When you come to appear before me, who has required of you this trampling of my courts? Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations- I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my sould hates; they have become a burden to me; I am wearing of bearing them. When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers I will not listen; your hands are full of blood. Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow's cause. Come now, let us reason together," says the Lord: "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.'

It would seem that, rather than the gathering together and 'trampling of [His] courts' for worship, God is more concerned by what He proposes in verses 16 and 17. Half of it is ceasing from the evil we do. The other half is doing good to those who need us.

The phrase "seek justice" is growing on me, becoming more and more important to me... In studying it, I am finding that it means so much more than I had previously thought. My idea of biblical justice has been simply to make sure that the bad guys get their just deserts, but that's only a small part of it.

Rather than try to put it into words of my own, I will instead direct you to an article that does the job well already. Read and seek to understand the depth of bibilical justice and the implications of scriptures like James 4:17, which says that "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and does not do it, sins".

http://www.relevantmagazine.com/god/practical-faith/what-biblical-justice

The 'Why'

I am a couple of short weeks away from the planned launch of the ‘7’ challenge. And I am so beyond thankful for the fact that I won’t be doing this alone! Several of my old friends, my mom, and my sister are all getting together to discuss our first month’s challenge and how we plan to cope with the impossible task of living off of only seven foods for an entire month. So far, I’ve heard chocolate, lasagna, and enchiladas mentioned as candidates for this fast. Oh, and Reese’s. I’m going to love these women!

As the start continues to draw nearer, the longevity of this commitment is beginning to sink in… seven months of anything is a challenge. Seven months of fasting and making yourself uncomfortable will be much more so. Knowing this, I’ve decided that I should write this down… the ‘Why’ behind what I’m doing. I’m sure I’ll hear that question from others as well, especially when they’ve seen me in the same outfit twelve times in as many days during month two.

The more I think about all that I have, the more that I recognize the fact that I am rich, far more than I used to think. The practice of comparison can be a very convenient practice… as long as you compare yourself to the appropriate group. This generally means comparing with the better when you wish to feel humble and to the worse when you wish to feel right. In comparing myself to the rich and famous I feel quite average. But turn that coin over and compare myself to the poor and destitute and I realize my true status. And realizing my true status continues to grow a concern in my soul about the words of my Lord that I am not taking to heart.

Greed, consumerism, and materialism have taken hold in my heart. The sad part is that I have lived so long in a culture full of people in the same boat as me that I didn’t even recognize it. Even now it takes intentional, mental correction on a regular basis to remind me of my plight. Because of my surroundings, I know that these are not going to be easy traits to defeat. Drop me in the middle of Uganda and it might take a couple of weeks to lose all thought for anything but the necessities of life. Leave me here and I can’t go anywhere without wishing for more. I will not, unfortunately, grow out of them or pass this phase. It will only be through intentional, strategic battles that these three wars be won.

I know I’ll be considered crazy as I do these challenges. People will think I’m weird or misjudge my intentions. Some will be intrigued by it but afraid to try it themselves. Others will shrug their shoulders and go on about their business, never able to care less. But I hope that some will be pricked in their souls and feel the nudge of the Holy Spirit and deal with this grievous blind spot so many of us struggle with. Yet, even if no one else is affected by it… I hope to gain a vast amount of ground in my own life.

My reasons are…

1)      Repentance

2)      Growth

3)      Witness

May those three reasons be my solid ground when the going gets rough… and I’m really craving fajitas.

These Are the Faces

These are the faces that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams long after you've returned home after a mission over seas. They are the poorest I've ever met... They are the happiest I've ever met. These people proved to my 18-yr-old mind that joy is not indelibly connected to possessions. And you know what? They are dying every day because of hunger. They die due to lack of clean water and inability to get to or afford health care and medicine. They die from preventable diseases and exposure. They die while I stay connected to my luxuries.

According to The Human Development Report from Global Issues, 1 in 3 children in the world live without adequate shelter. 1 in 5 don't have access to clean drinking water. 22,000 will die today due to poverty.

50% of the world lives on less than $2.50 a day. 80% live on less than $10. 

And we don't bat an eye spending $20+ on a single meal, much less on an entire day. 

What's worse is that we have the nerve to say things like "I wish I were rich," or "If only we weren't so poor". Here's a news flash... You are rich. You're not poor. My guess is that you're reading this on your own personal computer or phone. You've likely already had two full meals and maybe a snack today. You've consumed an adequate amount of clean water, chilled to your liking. You will sleep in a bed tonight covered in blankets in a climate controlled home. If you are worrying at all over financial problems, it's probably wondering if you will have to cut back on luxuries or downsize your home... not whether or not your children had enough to eat this evening to last them to the next 'meal'. 

We are rich, my friends. Let that sink in. Embrace it. Own the truth that applies to you. 

We like to say things about how the world would be a better place if the 'rich' would just be generous with their blessings. At least I do! I see sportsmen and actors being paid ridiculous amounts of money and wish they would do good with it instead of squandering it on meaningless things. But HELLO, Jessica! I have an exorbitant amount of money of my own and spend it on frivolous things too. 

As I write this, hoping to convince you of your prosperity, I know that I haven't fully embraced it myself. The challenges that I have accepted for this year are designed to open the eyes of my heart to what my heart already knows... I am filthy stinking rich. I need to read the words of Jesus with that understanding. And I need to take responsibility for the way I use the assets He has given me. 

This Is Me...

I’m torn by some of my readings of this year. Broken over issues the Spirit has revealed to me. Devestated by the suffering my eyes are slowly being opened to. Sickened by my own disregard to those who are in its grasp.

In the last year I successfully read my way through David Platt’s ‘Radical’, Kyle Idleman’s ‘Not a Fan’, James MacDonald’s ‘Vertical Church’, Mark Batterson’s ‘Primal’ and Jen Hatmaker’s ‘7’. The Word of the Lord in James, the first three chapters of Revelation, various portions of the prophets, plus the ‘pulling no punches’ red letters of Jesus have pricked my heart. First I tried to ignore it but now I am learning to listen to and fully embrace it. My heart is hurting for my country and, more specifically, those within it who believe they are on the path to life; like me.

Mark 10 tells the story of the rich young ruler’s encounter with Jesus. After explaining all the good things he has done he is confronted with one glaring blind spot. His greed. And that one spot was one he wasn’t willing to turn away from. As he turned to leave, Jesus spoke words that ought to strike fear in almost every American heart. “How difficult it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.”

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken that passage and used it in a lesson. I’ve urged youth to give it all (or at least be willing to give it all… because who are we kidding? We always have a mental asterisk by these verses that says ‘Jesus isn’t telling everyone to sell what they have and give to the poor… but He might’.) Usually, these lessons are supplemented with quotes from the afore mentioned books encouraging radical sacrifice and living.

Then I go home and spend my Sunday afternoon sitting on my soft couch watching t.v. with my husband in our new home, stuffing my face from any of the readily available food choices from my pantry and feeling good about myself because I did a good job of ‘not watering down the gospel’. I don’t want to make fake, wimpy followers of Christ.

But all along there’s been a tension. Frustration has been growing and for awhile I laid it on other people’s shoulders. I blamed the state of the church, this fat and sassy American Christianity that tends to think they have it all figured out but which does so little true good in the world. And then the Spirit spoke to me. “You are the church,” He said. “You are the problem. You are right to grieve over others… but you can only act to change your own life.”

This is me… tired of reading about radicalism and feeling inspired but doing nothing. This is me... tired of wanting to do something and not knowing how. This is me… tired of dreaming about things changing and then going on about my life as normal because I’m afraid of change. This is me… the average, American, church-going small town girl with a smoldering determination to go against the flow.

And finally… this is me with a plan.

This will be a year of fasting, following the model given by Hatmaker in ‘7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess’. It will be a year of giving, following as the Lord leads and investing my efforts to raise money for the revealed causes. It will be a year of learning as I study new issues and open my mind to consider the things so often brushed under the rug. It will be a year of self-examination and discomfort as I push out of my comfort zone. And hopefully, it will yield a harvest of growth in my spiritual life, contentment, joy, and purpose that I have yet to experience in my blessed life.