A New Year with The Power of Six

I had this great idea for starting the new year (at least it
seemed great at the time). Now well. . .not so much!! I called it the Power of Seven (really, stop laughing). These ideas need a good title. We would pick seven areas to focus on and try
some old-fashioned fasting and deprivation to see if we couldn’t bear good
fruit. Please don’t ruin my story withthoughts of “oh, I know how this is going to turn out”—humor me, will ya’?

So, here is the list:
1. Seven foods—yep, that’s right . . . we were to pick out seven foods and eat nothing but those for seven days. Then, we each got to add in ONE food per week for the following seven weeks. I took the idea from several blog/books of people doing something similar. I don’t think any of them were doing this little experiment with five children. Hmmm. The one exception is that we were allowed to use up any remaining food (from weeks past) that was in the house. Oh thank you, thank you for crumpled bags of chip crumbs and leftover ketchup and sour cream.

2. Seven weeks of major media reduction. No TV for the children, no Facebook for me, and no internet except for email and other necessities (such as Gooseberry).

3. Seven weeks of purging: clothes, the garage, toys, books, junk drawers, closets, and I can’t remember the other one.

4. Seven weeks of daily exercise. This seems self-explanatory.

5. Seven weeks of gratitude. The older three children and I made a gratitude journal and committed to writing three things in it each day we were grateful to God for.

6. Seven weeks of serving.

7. Seven weeks of His promises. Seeking God's promises to us through His word.

Four days in and one thought comes to mind---what was I thinking? Really, as I
look over the list I think I’ll only completely abandon one—Guess which one? That’s
right. Food. My idea to restrict our diet in order to identify and relate to those in the world who live on very little has apparently backfired. Instead of empathy, I'm feeling angry (hungry) and irritable and so I'm losing the beauty of the other six. I'm totally obsessing over food!!

And then a thought occurred to me this afternoon. This is so like me!! So. like. me. And so the antithesis of what it means to walk with God. I had missed it--though one glance in His word or at His church would have reminded me that I'm not the only one. We want a God we can control. Just give me my rules. If I do this--then You'll do that. I'm a legalist junkie. I NEED ten steps to "knowing God completely and having all your prayers answered". He whispers--"it doesn't work that way". He is after my love--not my duty. And while identifying with the poor and then getting off my duff and doing something about it is certainly at the center of God's heart and will. . . my legalistic notions are not. It really is a walk and not a chore. A journey not a job.

All is not lost. I need to exercise--and Monday is looking better and better already. I am going to purge, 'cause we have WAY to much. I may avoid facebook for a while and focus on those who are in my face. . . like five little snotty-nosed cuties. I will cultivate gratefulness. . . I even have a story about my wall and some chalkboard paint and an afternoon of "not-so-craftiness" but I'll save it for a later date. Please Lord, your promises. . .Your words--they are life---send them. And then send us out to serve.

But my legalism. . . I'll unload that backpack---'cause this journey is lighter without it. And I bet a big, juicy burger is just what I need. . .

To make it one step further down the road,

Joy