Daniel Fast Day 3 :: Foreign
But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.
~Daniel 1:8
Daniel found himself in a strange new land with a culture and customs that were foreign to a Jewish boy. They were being thrust upon him in preparation to becoming King Nebuchadnezzar's servant. This brought concern over the possibility that he might sin against the Lord in the midst of a decadent lifestyle. It's hard to live by God's standards in a foreign land, so he made a request to the king's official that he might maintain his holy lifestyle while he lived in exile in Babylon.
This is the essence of my 21 days this year, not necessarily fast-worthy foods. I have focused on the food in other years, and there is merit in that as well. But I called this year's fast a pseudo-Daniel Fast for me (Day One) because this time, for me, it's not about the food. It's about denying myself the metaphorical decadence from the world's royal table, and regaining my holy lifestyle as a citizen of Heaven while I live on Earth.
Photo Credit: Chinese Checkers in Beijing, the Forbidden City
Courtesy of my brother Wayne, taken October 2009
Courtesy of my brother Wayne, taken October 2009
Daniel Fast Reflections From the Beginning:
Day 1 :: Food
Day 2 :: Slow
2 comments
Very interesting. I have my own Daniel story, thinking about him when I moved from Alabama to Texas. Like Daniel, I felt like a foreigner in a new place.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Kathy
Kathy, it does feel a bit foreign to find myself trying out old boundaries that never used to feel like boundaries. I'm curtailing, honing in, and being diligent about my choices and making them for health rather than against or worse yet, making no consciencious decision at all. It feels restrictive, but in some way it's freeing.
ReplyDeleteMy brother used to live in Texas. It's like a country within a country. Foreign, yes. :)
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