Life In The Fast Lane

If you have read this blog for any amount of time (like a week), you would know that we are busy people. I am a do-er, a go-go-go person. I am the kind of woman that if you were to ask me to sit still, it pains me to know that something is going undone. I multitask to the max; I have been known to do three things on the computer, carry on two text messages, and watch tv while using commercials to clean. Seriously. It's bad.

So, life has been busy. And sometimes, I look at things and wonder, where did time go? Was I really so busy working/cleaning/doing a project/etc. that I missed out on all that time?

Which was part of our reason for simplifying our lives by cleaning through everything, getting rid of tons of stuff, reducing the control of possessions in our life. And, as we come into the last week of Easter, I think we've done fairly well. The bottom two levels of our house have been reduced drastically. The things we have are used and used quite often. It's been realized that to clean up now takes less than an hour, instead of two or three as it did before.

I have also tried to use Sunday as a day of rest, often unsuccesfully, but it's an attempt, which is a great start. Sunday is the day to re-coop from the past week and to recharge for the next week. It's a time for family and friends. A time of worship. And it's a time to do things so that I don't wonder where life went.

However, for the Lenten time, at church, we have discussed gluttony and fasting. And, truth be told, I never grew up with any discussion of it. The only thing I knew is that Catholics fasted and, our church was not Catholic. Period. End of conversation. But today, in church, we were challenged to use fasting as a spiritual discipline. And, I am still not Catholic. It really tugged on some strings for me. So, when leaving church, I asked Jose if he would ever consider it. His response was very much a discussion stopper and I didn't know what to say, so I just stopped, but I kept thinking about it.

In short, he stated, "Why do I need to starve myself to pray? Can't God listen if I'm not hungry?" and I didn't feel like arguing. My best answer was, "But it doesn't hurt to try." Which is a crappy answer, I know, but I'm not sure why else I feel compelled to do it. Our life is full of chaos and hurts and drama, and really, I just want a break from that. But it bothers me a lot more to have that life than it bothers Jose. In some sense, I think he believes that it is normal. I see the lives, though, of people around me and I feel as if they are not so complicated. And, I want to have God work that into us, to have a life that is a little less crazy and eventful. Which is why we are making changes to reach that point, through purging our possessions and enjoying the Sabbath. So, in my mind, fasting may just make sense. To show God that I need him more than food. That I choose Him over food (which means a lot because we are an "eat eat eat family").

What do you do to minimize the control possessions have in your life?
Do you have any traditions or things that you do to enjoy the Sabbath?
Have you ever fasted and what was your experience?

I am getting tired of this life in the fast (busy) lane and would like to have life in the fast (focused on God) lane instead....I think I'm ready to switch lanes.