Day 2

How are you feeling today?  I heard reports of headaches yesterday and so it is likely that the euphoria of participating in the fast has now fully worn off and you are not looking forward to today.  The good news is that day 2 seems to be about the hardest in any fast so if you can make it through today (and you can) it will get progressively better.

I was thinking about 2 Corinthians 4 (I would commend it to your reading) where Paul is talking about the proclamation of the gospel in or through these bodies that he calls 'jars of clay'.  But since it all comes together when we are raised up to be with Christ he says that we can endure what he refers to as 'light momentary afflictions'.  Perhaps today as we endure what may be the most difficult day of the whole fast we can use that headache, or that hunger, or simply that desire for something we have committed to not having; perhaps we can take our difficulties of the day and redirect that desire to a thinking about the bigger picture.  Today let us remember that in this life there will be difficulties yes, but that as we seek our Lord we can know that the glory will be far beyond anything we have endured here.  Instead let's turn our attention to thanksgiving for all that our God has accomplished.

Hey, if you have a recipe that you have enjoyed let me know and I will repost it.  Shoot me an email at pastorcarlyn@harvestcomchurch.org and we will let everybody in on the news.  For our part there was a bunch of black beans in the crock pot last night and I heard rumors of black beans and rice today, so I am looking forward to that!  How about you?

As you are in prayer today, please remember our military stationed overseas.  Talk about going without!  Our food is one thing but to be apart from family seems to me to be an even greater sacrifice.  Lord, keep our men and women of the military out of harms way today, and more than that would you give them a sense of laboring for a larger cause.  Lord I would pray that in the midst of separation from loved ones that each person stationed overseas would have a sense of your love for them, and that it might in fact be through this separation that many come to find their ultimate satisfaction in a relationship with you.  Amen.