thoughts on fasting

fasting one day a week is part of my lent "routine"...and let me just first say that this mostly sucks balls. I don't eat from the moment I wake up until the next morning I wake up - only juices and water to drink (and really...you get tired of the juices...I drink mostly water). this is super inconvenient for when I'm seeing friends, and I had a weird experience of watching people eat yesterday...a little strange, but at that point, I had already found an inner strength to not feel "left out".

there are moments during my day where I get very close to giving up (e.g me coming home and dad telling me: "fresh pizza in the oven!" - I could smell the stupid thing too), and I don't admit to LOVING the discipline yet...but it has helped me think about several things...which I have listed here:

lessons
- forces reflection on how I need to be hungry for God...a reminder that God is what I desire

- facilitates contemplation on my human fallibility, my weakness...the desire for food is symbolic of desire for all earthly things

- a process of self-emptying: being ready for God to speak

- holding back satiating oneself helps in experiencing (to a minute minute degree) Jesus' journey in the desert