I usually LOVE Sundays. Everyone's home, we can spend time together, even if everyone is doing they're own thing, we are together. Usually it's for the most part good for all of us...until the dreaded day of the fast.
We have kids of all ages so it's starts in the morning with a couple (including the almost two year old) who need to eat, then the recently baptized child is counting down the minutes until she reaches lunch which is our goal for her since she's only been truly fasting a couple of months. By the time noon rolls around the two oldest are getting short tempered, child #2 is now complaining about how long it will be until dinner. Anyone who knows me well enough knows I get a little irritable without food, so my patience is a little short and I'm becoming a not so good variable in this equation.
At this point, the hubby and I get hit with child #2 turning pre-law debater on us and we hear the following. "If I have free agency and I'm the one accountable for my choices, why do you feel like you can make me fast...."
Ummmm - I've got nothing. Not even the "because I said" argument has come to mind. And I'm sorry, for all of you who have perfect children, but when your child is hungry it is not the time to remind them that they are learning and growing and it's hard but it's worth it. She didn't want to hear any of it, and I know had I even tried to answer, what would have come out of my mouth would probably not have been said with a great deal of love, charity, kindness or anything that even resembles any of these things.
The reality is, I know it's hard. Fasting is something I have struggled with continually. However, I still remember when I finally got it and really found it was worth it. I had a seminary teacher who was going in for a surgery and we fasted as a class on a Thursday at school. Okay, it's hard enough to fast on Sunday when the whole ward and your family are fasting with you. You know your Sunday School teacher is not going to wave a bag of chips in front of you, or that your friend isn't going to offer to share a soda with you between classes because they notice you haven't had anything to eat or drink all morning, but at high school....when I was there the whole place smelled of junk food, it was pure torture!!! At the same time, however, it became the basis for my testimony. For no other reason than I learned that I could fast. I learned that I could pray, and fast with a purpose and I could overcome my physical needs and desires for a spiritual purpose.
So, you ask, who won...we all did. She actually made it until after church ended at 4:00. After she ate at 4:30 she turned back into her normally, mostly pleasant, personality. She learned she could do it, and I realized that sometimes trying to help our kids so they aren't feeling that "I wish I knew then what I know now" later in life is a little more painful...but honestly feel for all of us it will be worth it.
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