Day 5 - Life Out of the Box

6:22am
The Lord woke me up this morning around 1:00am, but I stayed in bed for about 30 minutes, not wanting to get up. During that time, the Lord gave me an idea for a devotion. Finally, I gave in, got up, and sat down at the computer. After an hour, I laid back down, but this time the Lord gave me two devotions! After another 30 minutes, I fell asleep, trusting that I would still remember what to write when I woke up for the day.

Following is one of the three devotions (check back for the others). I pray that it blesses and encourages you today. :)

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” – John 10:10, NKJV

Last night my husband and I bought a file cabinet for our home office. My daughters, ages 7 and 5, immediately claimed the box as theirs. The empty container sitting in our living room wasn’t just a plain old box to them. Instead, they envisioned a castle, a cave, or a playhouse! Making big plans to decorate it and make it pretty, they no doubt went to bed with smiles on their faces, dreaming of transforming the box into something wonderful.

Following Jesus isn’t about obeying a long list of dos and don’ts, as I used to believe. It’s not a legalistic, monochromatic existence devoid of any fun or laughter. It’s not just going to church on Sundays, reading the Bible, and praying, although those disciplines are important and necessary. It’s more. So much more.

Life with Christ is life out of the box! When you choose to surrender to the Lord and pursue Him wholeheartedly, your experiences will be anything but boring. Life will be full of color and purpose. God’s plans for you are big, much bigger than your mind can even conceive! He wants to go beyond your wildest dreams and astound you with His greatness and glory!

If you find yourself surrounded by four walls, it’s time to take a leap of faith. Cast aside what you think life in Christ is supposed to be and venture out into the unknown. God wants you to experience an abundant life in Him, one that surpasses all of your dreams. He is faithful and will not disappoint. The Lord has more for you. So much more. Trust Him. Jump out of the box!

5:00pm
Today has been a good day. Physically, I'm still hungry and cold. My sides are achy. But, God has made me strong. I'm surprisingly alert, considering I got a total of 4-5 hours of sleep.

The girls are playing with their box right now. The first thing they did when they woke up this morning was begin working on it, as I knew they would. Isabelle cut out a window and door and used duct tape to make a roof! Tomorrow they plan to paint it. Here are a couple of pictures:

Isabelle and Jocelyn try out their new house.

The roof

When I began this fast, I left it open as to how long I should go. Today is Day 5 of nothing but water. I had thought at Day 3 that I would go ahead and do seven days and then transition to juice. However, I think that I chose seven, not because the Lord was leading me to that length, but because my longest water fast was seven days. I didn't want to "underperform" and do less than I did before. What I realized today is that I have nothing to prove to anyone - not to others, not to myself, and certainly not to God. He isn't more impressed if I fast seven days instead of three. He isn't even impressed at all that I'm fasting. He's pleased simply by the desire of my heart to know Him more and to hear His voice more clearly.

The Lord and I have had some sweet times together over the past few days. Even when He has nudged me awake at 1:00am, I have been thankful. He has blessed me and spoken to me over and over again through other people, through circumstances, and through His Word. I don't want that to end just because I'm taking in physical nourishment now. I still need Him desperately, and I have to remember that I'm completely dependent upon Him.

6:10pm
I decided to stick with just vegetables for my first "meal." I have a Champion Juicer, so I was able to make fresh juice here at home. I had two carrots, 1/2 zucchini, and 1/2 cup red cabbage (about 8 ounces total) and diluted it with 1/2 cup water. I'll wait a little longer to have fruit, although it's very tempting to do so now because it makes the juice so sweet! Sometimes, though, it can cause your stomach to be slightly upset if you have too much fruit sugar too soon. I'm taking the girls and one of their friends to a movie tonight at Isabelle's school. Looking forward to getting out and doing something fun together.

9:37pm
Back from the movie. Just tucked the girls into bed. They are still very giggly, but I hope they crash soon. :) I'm feeling better, not so weak and shaky. Drank a little water during the movie, but I really don't have any desire for it. Plan to spend a few moments in the Word and in prayer, and then I'm off to bed!