Pray, Fast, Write

If you follow my musings about what’s cooking over at The Schell Cafe, you know that I am preparing for a 40 Day Plant Strong challenge for Lent beginning this Wednesday. Plant based diet sounds more palatable to me than vegan.

While I just decided last week to take on this challenge, after a gorgeous morning of prayer time on a walk early yesterday morning it became clear to me that the plan has been a long time in the making. As the saying goes there is more to the story than meets the eye and it’s on my heart to share the background of how I came to be The 40DayVegan.

The photo above is one I took today of my prayer journal. The date I titled the entry Pray, Fast, Write was October 10, 2010. I woke up earlier than normal after tossing and turning in the night. I kept hearing the words pray, fast, write over and over in my sleepless dreams. At the time, Husband and I were facing several big decisions we needed to make and I was no doubt worried about them. I also wasn’t sure why I was really writing The Schell Cafe and The Kitchen Mission. So the words I was hearing certainly caught my attention.

Pray, Fast, Write

I recall that morning dragging my sleepy bones to my prayer couch and although I don’t remember what verses I read, I know I was still unsure of hearing Pray, Fast, Write. For 10 days, my journal records random thoughts, verses from scripture, and even urgent pleas to God to please explain Pray, Fast, Write. I remember one morning, deciding I should be fasting, I mindfully skipped my coveted morning coffee. I made it through the longest part of the morning sans caffeine only to come home after dropping off Littlest to pour a big old cup of java. It was hours later before I even remembered I was supposed to be fasting. Not sure that’s the obedience God had in mind. But that’s the point. I had no idea what God meant by Pray, Fast, Write.

I skipped day #9 of the Pray, Fast, Write journal entries and on day #10 I wrote this prayer:

Pray, Fast, Write

Heavenly Father,

Give me the strength to fast and write today.

For my discipline and for Your Kingdom.

Apart from the vine I am nothing.

Amen

And then my journal skips a few days and goes right into a summary of the book of Hebrews and prayers of preparation for the Advent Season. I was done figuring out the mystery words.

Guess what? God was not done with me.

Stay tuned…