My morning without coffee

I start this morning bright and early and although it was not by choice, I am actually glad to be up. Jeremy and I are starting a 10 day version of The Daniel Fast today. I will go into that more over the next few days but for those of you who want more information this is a good place to start: http://daniel-fast.com/about.html

As part of this fast we are only drinking water for the next 10 days. For any of you who know me personally or have been following my blog for any amount of time, you know that I love me some coffee. No, I mean I really love me some coffee. Despite that fact that the majority of what we are used to eating is not included in this fast, I am most concerned about giving up the coffee. That's saying a lot because this girl also loves her food! So for a few days now I have really been focused on the fact that I couldn't drink coffee for the next week and a half.

Leave it to God, he has me facing that obstacle head on first thing this morning. Isaiah was up at 5:00am and my first thought was, "Really? This morning of all mornings? But I can't even have my coffee!" Are you imagining this in a whiny, early morning voice? Good, because even though it was in my head it was still awfully whiny. So I stumbled into the kitchen, warmed up a bottle, changed his britches, and sat with him in the quiet of his room feeding him a bottle. As my mind wandered back to the injustice of this early morning waking (did I mention the coffee?), God reminded me what this was all about. Rely on me. Let me be your strength. Don't lean on other things, I am all you need.

This is exactly why I am doing this fast to begin with. Coffee and food are just two areas of my life where I often turn for strength or comfort. I need this jarring reminder that God is all I need. You want to know the other blessing in this early morning? While Isaiah went right back to sleep I was left wide awake. That would normally irritate me but this morning I took advantage of a quiet house and spent some time in my Bible. Let me leave you with this: "Blessed are those whose strength is in you..." Psalm 84:5. The notes in my Bible say blessed are those who have come to know the Lord as their deliverer and sustainer. I will stand firm and pray on that today for I know that it is true.