The 7 Experiment: Food

So, I'm leading this little Bible study at church.  I chose The 7 Experiment: A Mutuny in Excess.  It is based off Jen Hatmaker's book "7"...basically it is a charge to the reader to get rid of "our junk, so that God can move in".  It is an incredible book, and I knew that the workbook would be just as good. 

Last Wednesday we started our Food Fast.  The premise for the entire book is to purge/fast from 7 areas in our lives where we typically have excess.  She chose to explore Food, Clothes, Possessions, Media, Stress, Waste and Spending.  She spent a month fasting from each of these areas so that she could make more room in her heart and life for God...to do His Kingdom work!!  

We only have one week to fast....I am calling that a cop out!!  Too easy.  However, I pray that the Lord will make more room in my heart for him in this shorter amount of time.  I'm even pondering doing each area again for a full 30 days (by myself...starting next year).  Anywho...FOOD.

Well, I like food.  I love food....don't mess with my mac n cheese obsession.  Or powdered donuts.  Or gum habit.  So I knew this month would be a challenge.  We had many options to choose from, for example...we could eat only 7 foods for 7 days, or not eat out at all for 7 days, or choose to fast from one meal a day...etc.  I chose no eating out (no sonic runs, nuthin')...if it didn't come from my house I didn't partake in it.  

I stumbled the first day with pretzels.  I know, right?  Seriously, I got to work and I decided that my boss bought these snacks for the kids and us...FROM A GROCERY STORE, so I am fine eating them.  Well I hemmed and hawed over each bite.  After 4 pretzels I couldn't take the agony guilt pressing from the Holy Spirit and I threw the rest away!!  That was my one and only cheat.  

In the end I followed the rules.  Someone from the outside looking in might rate this a success.  But I do not.  I was never hungry enough to draw closer to God.  I was never burdened enough to cry over the 16,000 children that die EVERY DAY because of malnutrition.  So..for me..I failed.  I feel I might have been more challenged if I had chosen a different option, but I cannot go back now.  I must just pray that each and every other challenge will offer that closeness to God that I so GREATLY desire.

So what radical area of excess am I on now?  Clothes.  I will report on that next week...but let's just say I chose 7 pieces of clothing to wear for the next 7 days, and I am definitely being challenged!!  Haha!