Prayer and Fasting

I spent my Saturday at a Prayer and Fasting Retreat for Young Life leaders and supporters.

When I first saw this on the calendar, I just had to ask Ellen (YL leader when we were at UVA), "Did you have to do this?"

Now, I will say when colleagues or friends asked me what I was doing this weekend, I got some stares and some 'she's crazy glances.'

I wasn't as much offended or scared, I was just more overwhelmed by the thought of spending consecutive hours in prayer...and while fasting. Secretly, I looked forward to hours of silence.

Prayer is not my best discipline.

Has anyone ever been around me while reading? while watching TV? while watching a movie? anything that involves sitting still is a miserable fail for me. So, wait, I'm going to remain in prayerful mode for hours? That's cute, I thought.

Has anyone ever been around me throughout the day? Yeah, I like to eat. So, I'm going to remain still and in prayerful mode without eating? This'll be interesting, I thought.

Now, I'm all about trying things you've never done. Perhaps, I'd find it horrible. Perhaps, I'd love it. You never know until you try.

Biblically speaking, it's something that I needed to attempt.

So Blizzard and I ventured out to the mountains (check! nature!) for some time with good friends and prayer.

And, I liked it. Time flew. It was great to pray for others, kids, and the semester ahead with fellow leaders and supporters.

I wouldn't say I loved it, but give me another opportunity and we'll see. I'd do it again, though.

I never really got hungry, which reminded me that ultimately God is my daily bread and will sustain me (confession: after the past week, I was weary).

I thought it totally ironic that I was driving home around 7:30. Dad called and wanted to know if I was hungry and would like an omelet. How blessed am I to have an amazing heavenly Father and earthly Father?

Moral of the Story: As I was exiting 29, a group of traveling high schoolers pulled up next to me and mooned me. I just felt like it put an exclamation point on the day and made me laugh.