Advent Daniel Fast - Day 1

I've been in a fog most of today.

I don't know about the rest of you who have started the fast (we have 15 from our church who are participating this Advent season - praise God!) but today, I've felt like I was swimming through the day in cloudy water. I had a lingering headache, I was hungry because I hadn't properly planned my menu for the day, and I wasn't as focused as usual on the tasks at hand. This also was the first day without any coffee or sugar - there is probably a correlation!

Even though I haven't been at my top mental or physical game today, I'm still very excited to start this fourth Daniel Fast journey. Each time, even though I may not see it while the fast is happening, God has used these 21 days in very powerful ways. My body is cleansed by the fast, while at the same time my heart is emptied of all the junk that accumulates over time and more space is made for God.

So often, we journey through our spiritual lives in a fog as well. We are distracted by the mundaneness of everyday life or we become overwhelmed with the intensity of all of our responsibilities. Advent is a time for us to pause and begin searching for the light that shines in the fog of our life. Pairing Advent and the fast is a way for us to look intently and begin to see the faintest glimmers of light that, over time, will come together to create the Light of the World.

If you were in a fog today, too, welcome to the crowd! It will get better. Use your additional spiritual practice of prayer, scripture reading, Christian conversation, walking, whatever you have chosen to connect with the glimmers of light that will burn away the fog of our hearts by the Spirit's leading.