Fasting for Margin

I have been out of sorts the last week or so. Everything feels off. Mood, productivity, quality time with kids (or lack thereof), communication with God. I really blame the Easter candy… damn chocolate! See how my mood is off! Ok, maybe it’s something else…

I find it so hard to find margin in my schedule. You know – space for life! Unscheduled, happy a friend stopped by, hangin' with the family, let’s build a fort, lost in real, live conversation, sit at the feet of Jesus time. You can look at my calendar and think that it is there, but curiously it’s not. Time flies when you’re chasing preschoolers, or teenagers, or grandkids, or whatever you’re chasing in your world. So I’m going to conduct a little experiment. I invite you to join me...

Fasting is taught about in the Bible, both in the Old Testament and by Jesus, and usually involves holding back food. A food fast is its own post entirely, but that’s not the kind of fast for this post. I want to see how much of my time is sucked away by this thin box with a keyboard. While I think I just send an email here or check Facebook there, how much of my time is really spent on this little machine? Is this the robber of my margin? Time will tell! Three days of time to be exact - three days of no email, no internet, no computer power. So if you need something, dear Sisters, call me! ;)

Do you have margin in your life? Do you have suspicions of what robs you of it? I encourage you to pray about it and consider fasting from the alleged culprit for a time to see if it does anything for your pace of life. Are you on American time or God time? A New York minute or a Jesus moment? The difference spans eternity!

Pace

In the running world, you hear a lot about pace. In training, they tell you to run at your 5k pace or your ½ marathon pace. In social circles, you hear, “What’s your pace?” And, on race day? Well, you can only imagine. I’m sure even the elite runners have lost sleep, and breakfast, over this word.

I’ve never really liked this word much, though I’ve focused on it plenty. My pace isn’t impressive. I’m a middle of the pack runner, if the race is really big. Any adverse weather conditions only slow me down further and don’t even get me started on humidity. And yet, I used to be so obsessed with pace that I’ve discovered I’m a minute and half faster on my mile split at 2500 feet elevation without humidity when its 50 degrees and the wind is at my back. Well, that’s great but what does that mean? It means that the weather conditions could be perfect, the elevation completely desirable and the Olympics still won’t be calling me. So I’d better be running for the fun of it, and I’d better enjoy it alone as much as with company because I won’t always have someone at my pace to run with.

And, I do enjoy it… alone as much as in a crowd. A moment to steal away with your thoughts, or your iPod, in the midst of your chaotic world is a blessing! A time to be alone with God, no matter your circumstances, is rejuvenating, life-giving. If I have someone to run with, it’s just icing on the cake.

It’s taken me a long time to be okay with who God made me to be. It’s funny to me that I can absolutely adore my God and marvel over His creations like the mountains and the ocean, flowers and rain, yet question His creativity when it comes to me! And this includes my pace as much as my hips and other things He has given me in perplexing proportion! But they are things I cannot change, so I have found embracing them only draws me closer to Him.

And isn’t that what we are after? To be closer to Him? Well run after Him then! Whether you do it at a 12 minute a mile pace or a 6 minute a mile pace, whether you are alone or in a crowd! It’s not about how fast you travel. Stay focused on the destination and enjoy the journey! Start your engine and get on the road!