Happy Belated New Year and Christmas, Everyone!
Just wanted to let you all know that at 3:04 p.m. on December 27th of last year, Christ gave me the strength to complete my fast for my future wife. Here is a brief synopsis of what happened.
Day 1 (12/23 at 3:00 to 12/24 at 3:00)-I missed out on my "last meal" because of sheer stupidity, so I had nothing in my stomach when I went to work that night. It was awful: people were offering free food (popcorn and chocolate) for the holidays and on top of that, several December birthdays were being celebrated at our Christmas gift exchange, so there were three cakes. I actually stepped outside during this time because I was getting cranky and didn't want to take it out on my coworkers.
It was late this night that Jesus gave me a new focus for my fast: to pray that my wife has living faith in Him (I haven't met her yet, so I don't know whether or not she is saved).
Everything else I wanted (including mind-blowing sex), would fall into place if she received that.
Day 2 (12/24 at 3:00 to 12/25 at 3:00)-This was my first ever Christmas Eve candlelight service. During it, my friend Trav invited me over to have cocoa and cookies with his family. I was all for it, thinking that I could resist the temptation to break my fast and just drink water. Then I remembered how I had thought the same thing during my first ever attempt to fast. Back then, an acquaintance from a different church invited me to his family's new place to watch Summerslam and they ordered pizza. Suffice it to say that pepperoni laid the Smackdown on my desire for spiritual growth. So sadly, I had to bow out of cookies and cocoa. Next year, though, I hope Trav has some oatmeal raisin handy...
Day 3 (12/25 at 3:00-12/26 at 3:00)-On Christmas Day, I received a container full of chocolates as a gift and later, found out my Mom had included gingerbread in the package she and Dad had sent. I put both in the fridge so I wouldn't be tempted. I didn't do much except walk around a local park. This was a mistake because lots of families were having picnics and playing soccer. I simply did my best not to enjoy the smells until I went back home at nightfall, only to wake up covered in insect bites (I made sure to spray my room down later).
Day 4 (12/26 at 3:00-12/27 at 3:04). Starting a little after 3:00 on 12/26, I felt a strong urge to quit. I thought that I heard the Holy Spirit telling me that I had done enough and that I could quit. I repeatedly said that if I stopped before the four days were finished, that I would look stupid, so I continued anyway. Not to mention that that "still small voice" may have been my stomach trying to counterfeit God's voice to make me give up.
It was during that time that I experienced the hardest part of fasting: psychological torture. This is where all of your inner demons (namely, wicked things that people have done to you and even worse, wicked things you've done to other people) come roaring out of your subconsciousness to disembowel your soul. For my fellow superhero fans, this is basically the mental version of Batman fighting his way through Arkham Asylum. Only, you're Batman (or Catwoman for you ladies-Batgirl sucks...). How did I make it through? Forgiveness and repentance, and turning my past over to Christ. That is the only way to make it through.
After waking up on the 27th, I went to the library, which I spent watching things such as the promos of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "Avengers 2" on Youtube. It was while I was watching clips on Youtube which mirrored what I was experiencing that I felt convicted to spend my last half hour of fasting in prayer. So I dedicated five minutes of prayer to each thing I wanted for me and my future wife (grace, love, justice, and truth). Then I spent the rest of the time praying for my future wife to have living faith. At the end, outside, I had a vision (or at least, a really vivid memory) of Stone Cold beating Shawn Michaels for the WWE title (back when it was known as the WWF title) at Wrestlemania 14. I believe that this was confirmation from God that my fast was a success. I celebrated by listening to "Born Again" by Newsboys, because I felt like a completely new person once the fast was over.
I have no idea when (or where) I will meet my future wife. However, when I do, I look forward to hearing about the miracles that God will do in her life because of this fast.
Ephesians 5:25-28 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself." (NIV)
