Feast Day Hangover?!?

Recently, a friend shared with me that she was suffering from a hangover.  A Feast Day Hangover. The first feast day was a most welcome and dear friend after abiding by the rules and regulations of our fast for the first week. 3000 calories and three restaurants later, she was basking in the glow of multi and varied carbs and her tummy was so very happy. Her brain was enjoying the serotonin euphoria. All was good and right with the world. Or so she thought

Coming down from her carb high on Monday – crashing is actually more realistic –she was basically comatose and semi grumpy. Tuesday, however, reared its ugly post-feast day head and the carnage was everywhere.  What could she eat?  Rice? No.  Had enough of that ugly mushy stuff.  Lentils and beans? No, her digestive system needed a break. Carrots? Tomatoes? Avocados? No. No. No. There was no citrus in sight, so that was not a possibility.  However, chicken sounded like a good option as she searched the frig for the leftovers she had been so careful to set aside for such a moment of temptation.  Where was the chicken?

“All I could see were those luscious hamburgers I had prepared for my husband who is not suffering . . . er, participating. . . in the fast! Could it be? Did he take MY CHICKEN for his lunch?  You have seriously got to be kidding me!”

I will not share the gory details of the rest of the story, but let’s just say that it was at that moment that temptation was the greatest for her. As we giggled at the absurdity of the warring emotions she was experiencing, we both came to appreciate the options that she had at that moment.  She COULD go buy some more chicken.  She COULD eat the hamburgers.  She COULD go out to a restaurant and order FAST FOOD.  Many poor people in this world have none of those options. Solidarity with the poor means that we in some way, shape or form are standing in unity with those in need.  We will never truly understand the totality of what they experience on a daily basis, but if we have grown in our compassion and desire to reach out in the name of Jesus, if we have experienced even a slight season of want, then the fast has been successful.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.  1 Corinthians 10:13

PS:  The way of escape was the incredible edible egg.
PSS:  She found out later that day that the chicken was in the frig the whole time.  Her husband had lovingly made sure that it was kept fresh in a Tupperware container! Isn’t it just like Satan to mess with our relationships in yet another way to distract us from HIS course for our lives? Yeah, well, it didn’t work!